Between Night & Day: Extended Version
by Storyseeker
Summary: What would have happened if Prince Malcolm had died from the Archmage's poison and realised just how destructive Katherine's view of the Gargoyles was? Set in an alternate universe, in Wyvern's past.  Extended/revamped
1. Chapter 1

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles and Gargoyles comics are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
>No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.<br>All original characters are the property of Storyseeker and Hardwing.**_

_**Here it is, the newly revamped saga! With fresh new/extended and altered scenes! **_

_**Once again, this story was co-written with the great author Hardwing! Many thanks!**_

_**This fic saga is set in an alternate universe, in Wyvern's past, with characters from the Gargoyles comics, the Dark Ages Saga in TGS and some of Hardwing's own characters. It starts off right after the events shown in the show's episode 'Long Way To Morning' in 984 A.D. where the events in that chapter lead to a different conclusion for the clan. It is also set in the same timeline as the show in that era, with two small differences… Goliath didn't get his name until 984 A.D. and the eggs hatched soon in 995 A.D.**_

_**Oh, and in case some people get offended at some of the sexist remarks in this saga… Please remember that it is set in the medieval ages (things were different back then). **_

_**Many thanks to Kimberly Towle for her suggestions, and to the author Aesop for all his proofreading!**_

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**Scotland; Castle Wyvern; 984 A.D.: **

The scarred Gargoyle made his way down the long corridors of Castle Wyvern. He had been summoned to the Prince's bedchamber, where he was even now waiting to see him.

The old warrior winced, as he approached the Prince's door, not really wanting to see him. He was too ashamed.

Despite their best efforts, the former leader and his two young warriors had failed in their mission to save the Prince. Although they had succeeded in retrieving the magic book, the Grimorum Arcanorum, from the now deceased sorcerer Archmage, they had already been too late. In fact, they had been too late from the moment the poison had entered the Prince's bloodstream.

The Archmage had been no fool. He knew that someone would try and steal the Grimorum from him so that the young Magus could retrieve the antidote from its pages. That was why he had made certain that the poison he used on the Prince was extremely virulent.

By the time they had administered the cure, the poison had already done its worst damage. They just didn't know it at the time.

At first, the antidote seemed to work and he appeared to be making a full recovery, but alas that was only temporary. Although they had saved him from death by morning, they had only delayed the inevitable. The poison had left his body so ravaged and vulnerable to sickness that within two days, even with the poison gone, he had become so ill that he was barely able to breathe without pain.

The Magus had tried his best, but in the end concluded that the Prince had only a few weeks before the Angel of Death would come to claim him, a month at the very most.

So the old Gargoyle, known only as the Mentor, and his warriors had saved the Prince…only for him to survive a few more weeks, during which he would suffer greatly. And the Archmage, who was now the only one who could possibly help him, was dead.

The old Mentor felt sick with guilt and grief, as he touched the scar that occupied his left eye, which was now blind, an injury he had received during his last fight with the old sorcerer. Although most warriors prided themselves on the scars they received in battle, like symbols of their bravery, this was one the old warrior would love nothing more than to be rid of. It was like a mockery, symbolising the everlasting shame of his worst defeat.

The rest of the castle had also been in mourning since news of the Prince's fate became known, especially the Princess Katherine who had been spending all her time with her father. It didn't need to be said, but she obviously bore a vendetta against the now former leader of the Gargoyle clan, blaming him for her father's coming death. Everyone in the castle feared what she would do for retribution once her father was gone and she took the throne.

The Mentor had given up leadership of the clan, handing it over to his Second-in-Command, the large lavender Gargoyle with the deep voice. Although he had been denying it for quite a while, the mission against the Archmage had confirmed what everyone had suspected for many months…that he was simply too old to lead the clan. The blindness in his left eye now added that belief.

If it hadn't been for his leader and his love, the azure lass, his head would probably be decorating the Archmage's lair right now. The clan needed a younger warrior to lead them, so he had stepped down in favour of the next generation, but with a promise that he would always be there to offer counsel whenever needed.

When the Prince had been made aware of his condition, he had sworn to all the clan that he bore them no ill will, as he knew they had tried their best, and thanked them for their admirable effort. But even so, the old Gargoyle still shuddered with shame and anger at the memory of his worst failure ever. If he had just been the tiniest bit faster when the Archmage had shot that poison dart at the Prince!

Swallowing his guilt, he knocked on the door and entered.

"You asked to see me, Your Highness?" he asked as he entered the Prince's bedchamber, wincing a little when he saw the state the Prince was in. His condition had deteriorated even furthered since he had seen him the previous night, as he lay upon the bed, held up by cushions, his skin deadly pale, and making low rasping noises as he tried to breathe.

"Yes, old friend," the Prince croaked, and indicated he should sit. "Come, we have much to discuss."

"Have we?" the old soldier said curiously, sitting beside the bed.

"My friend," Malcolm winced. "I have been a fool…and what's worse, I have been a failure."

"What?" he asked in shock. "What do ye mean? When have ye ever failed at anything?"

"I'm talking about my daughter." the Prince looked at him with a small humourless smile on his face. "I have failed with her, and ye know it, so don't bother denying."

"Your Highness," he said unsurely. "I'm not sure what you…"

"Oh, come now!" Malcolm rebuked him. "I may be dying, and I may not have been the sharpest blade in the armoury, but I'm not blind or _completely_ stupid! While I've been stuck in this damn bed, I've seen the way she acts around you and your kind, the way she treats you… She obviously has about as much love for you and your clan as I did for the Archmage."

The aged warrior opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again, his honour not allowing him to lie, not even to spare his friend the pain of the truth. "Aye," he finally admitted. "Tis true, the lass don't exactly agree with us being here."

"Even though you have more right to be here than we." Malcolm coughed. "These cliffs were your home ages before Wyvern was even built. It was built so that our two clans could prosper together by living in peace, and now… Now I fear I may have destroyed that dream with Katherine."

"My Lord, ye can't…"

"Be silent!" he said forcibly, and immediately started coughing again, but refused to cease talking. "I told Katherine those ridiculous _stories_ of how Gargoyles would come and get her if she didn't behave. That's all they were, just silly old wives tales! Yet she seems to have fully embraced them as fact. You yourself warned me not to frighten her so, but I just thought you were being overly sensitive. I now know you were right, old friend… I caused this… I turned her into a bigot!"

A fit of coughs came over him again, and his friend instantly handed him a goblet of water, which he gratefully accepted.

"I tried talking to her, get her to see the error of her ways, but she won't listen," he said miserably, as he slowly sipped the water.

"Ye were only the catalyst, My Lord," his friend assured him. "The Princess lives in a castle that's filled with those who don't exactly approve of our presence here. It was only a matter of time before she started listening to them."

"And what will happen once I'm gone?" he asked, worried. "I made her promise that she would honour the treaty between our two clans and keep ye safe. But who knows how long that will last? And even then, that's no guarantee of how she or the other Humans here will treat you in the years to come."

The Gargoyle shrugged. "We have lived with the people's disdain long enough. It makes no difference to us how we are treated…"

"Well, it does to me!" Malcolm groaned. "This castle was created as a means of peace for us all. How it has come to this is beyond me. And I fear what will happen in the coming years, especially with my daughter on the throne. She's so young and hot-headed."

The warrior smirked. "She takes after her father in that respect."

Malcolm looked at him in indignation, but then smiled, laughing slightly. "Aye, I suppose she does… " His eyes then turned solemn. "But I had my mother, you and Robbie to teach me, make me see my errors and guide me in wisdom… Who will Katherine have when I am gone?"

Malcolm's father, Maol Chalvim I, had passed away shortly before he had been born, so he had never known him. His mother, Queen Katherine, who his daughter was named after, had raised him. She had been a brave and righteous woman, and had taught her son much about honour and courage. Lessons he carried with him all his life.

Robbie was the current Captain of The Guard, who Malcolm had known most of his life, and had always looked up to as a friend and confidant.

Malcolm groaned.

"Shall I summon the physician or the young Magus?" his friend asked, concerned.

"No, there's nothing more they can do, and we need to speak…" He winced. "I asked you here for a special reason, my old friend. There is nothing I want more than to secure the peace between our two clans, and ensuring the freedom and safety of you and yours. I had hoped Katherine would carry on that legacy when I departed this world, but that is obviously not going to happen…"

"The lass is still just a wee bairn, My Liege," his friend reminded him. "The weight of the crown could…"

"You're playing a dangerous game of chance, my friend," the Prince warned him. "She may mature in time, but then again she may not. The risk is too great to chance…" He coughed. "But I do have another suggestion…one that could help not only free your clan from this castle's bigotry, but also ensure that you will never be at risk to lose your home here."

"How can that be?"

Malcolm took another sip of water. "The Captain will be here soon. When he arrives, we will discuss everything, and then… When we are finished discussing this matter, you must go and talk to your new leader… For he will need to make a very important decision… One that will influence not only the welfare of his clan, but of mine."

The former leader of the Gargoyle clan looked at him dumbfounded, but nodded and listened.

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"I tell you, my love," the red-haired, blue-skinned female snarled. "If I have to listen to that whining brat's contempt much longer, I will…!"

"My love," the male lavender Gargoyle tried to calm his Angel of The Night down.

They had both been on their way to meet with the clan at the battlements to discuss who was to be the next Clan-Second, though many believed there was no real need for it. The redheaded female was not only one of the best warriors of the clan, but also the new leader's unofficial mate. She and the lavender warrior had been lovers for many years now, but had not been officially declared mates as of yet. Though it was doubtful that would remain the case, now that he had been made clan leader.

Along the way, they had unintentionally run into the young Princess Katherine. Needless to say, the Princess had not been thrilled to see them, and had told them as much by ordering them to "Get out of my way, _monsters_!"

"To think that she will one day occupy the throne," his mate-to-be hissed. "It's outrageous!"

"She is still merely a child, Night-Angel," he said diplomatically. "In time, she should…"

"She may not have time!" his lover said forcibly. "You and I both know, as do the rest of the clan, that the Prince is close to death's door. Soon, the four winds will come to claim him, and his brat of an heir will take the throne. And once she does that, what will become of us? Do you really think she has any regard for us as the guardians of this castle?"

Her future mate kept silent.

"Do you honestly think that once she's sitting on that oversized throne that she won't take the first opportunity to order our heads shattered during the day? And if she did then who would be there to stop her if not her father?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Lad?"

The two of them turned to see their old Mentor coming down the corridor toward them. They both bowed their heads respectfully, but after years of serving under his command and learning from him, the male warrior knew at once that something was ailing him. The way the old teacher stared intently at him was a clear sign that he had something on his mind.

"Mentor?" he asked.

The old soldier didn't respond at first, and just looked to the companion of his present leader. "Lass, our leader and I need to talk. Why don't you go and join the others, let them know we'll be running a little late, aye?"

The redhead stared at him for a moment, but then nodded and hurried away, sensing too that the old Mentor had something he wanted to say to her soon-to-be official mate.

"Lad?" the former leader said again, looking to his former pupil. "Come and glide with me. We need to talk…_now_."

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**One Hour Later: **

The new leader of the Wyvern clan had spent the last hour listening to his old Mentor about what he, the Captain and Prince Malcolm had been discussing. So far, his mind was in turmoil, confused and full of doubt.

"My Mentor," he began. "I'm not sure…what… To be honest, I am completely speechless at what you are saying. I don't know what to say or even what to think of this. Do you have _any_ idea of what you are suggesting?"

The old warrior nodded. "Believe me, lad, when the Prince first suggested it, I was more than sceptical. But the fact is, terrible as it sounds, he is right. I've known the Princess all her life. I've watched her grow, and I've seen the way she recoils every time one of us gets close to her."

His former pupil took a long breath, thinking. "She is still quite young though…" he started, repeating what he had said to his beloved earlier.

"And she might mature in time, yes I know." His teacher sighed. "I said that myself. Tis true, she might gain wisdom in later years, but as Malcolm said, there's no guarantee of that. And if she doesn't…then we could all be putting our fates into the hands of someone who would sooner see us shattered."

The younger warrior winced at these words. The teacher never sugarcoated anything, and stayed right to the point.

"But even so," he remarked. "What you're suggesting…it's…it's never been done before. And what makes you think anyone else will go along with it in the first place, _especially_ the Humans?"

"The Prince has taken everything into account, young one. He assures me that no one will be able to undo what's been done. All that's needed now is yuir decision."

The lavender warrior opened and shut his mouth, his mind a blank. "I…I don't know," he said finally. He honestly didn't know what to think. He had always known that being leader would mean he would have to make difficult decisions and certain sacrifices that would benefit the clan, but…he had never expected anything like _this_.

His Mentor looked at him sadly. "Lad… I don't need to stress to ye the importance of what yuir decision will be. But there are also other things ye need to consider, things like…what ye will lose, should ye accept."

His former pupil looked at him.

"I know, as do the rest of the clan, that you and the red-headed lass have been lovers now for many a year. I've seen the way ye look at each other. Ye clearly have much devotion for each other, but… Ye do realise that should you go along with this idea, there will be no way that ye can stay with her?"

The clan's young leader stared at him, his eyes moist.

To see him undergo this kind of pressure was heart-wrenching for the old warrior. He had always taught his young warriors to be strong, to remember a Gargoyle's purpose to protect, but never had he once taught them to put their heart on the line. He himself had never gone through a decision like the one the large lavender warrior was being put through. He wondered if he was the best person to offer council?

"What am I to do?" his leader finally asked, almost pleaded with him. "Please, Mentor. You have always been there for me whenever I needed your wisdom. I beg you, don't fail me now. Whatever decision you make, I will obey."

The scarred warrior looked at him in pity. "I'm sorry, lad, but this is a choice that I cannot make for you. Ye are leader now, so only you can decide, no one else." He turned to make his way back to the castle, but paused for a few moments. "Lad…" he started to say. "Do you know why I chose you to be my Second out of all the ones who participated in the exercises?"

The large warrior looked at him.

"I did so not because of the way ye fight, yuir strength or yuir courage," his Mentor continued. "But because of the way you cared. Ye have a warm caring heart, young one. Ye think of others before yuirself in a crisis, ye think of only what's best for yuir clan, and ye are ready to accept any challenge that comes yuir way." He turned to look back at him. "Remember what I told you and your siblings the night when you first began your trials for the title of Second? I said that being leader is about putting the welfare of the clan first before anything else. To be willing to do anything, even make the ultimate sacrifice, no matter what, because…because that's just what being a leader is all about."

He looked at him in sympathy. "But saying that, I never expected to put ye nor any Gargoyle in this kind of position. Ye are leader, and therefore it is up to ye to make the final choice. Ye can either go along with this plan or not, lad, but should ye be unable to make a decision, then I offer a third option… If ye wish, ye can step down as leader and I can temporarily take on the lead again until such time when another new leader can be chosen."

"One who will not be afraid to make the decision," his former pupil said, almost bitterly.

His Mentor's eyes flared white slightly. "I never said that, lad! Yuir choice is yuir own. No one will hold it against ye, no matter what yuir decision." He turned to leave again. "Consider your options carefully, but remember…once ye have made this decision there's no going back, so choose wisely. Prince Malcolm requires an answer by tomorrow night at the latest. His health diminishes more every second so there's no time to waste."

With that, the old Mentor spread his wings and took flight, his form vanishing into the distance, leaving behind one very troubled and heartbroken Gargoyle behind in his wake.

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A few hours had passed and the old Mentor went to see the Prince, finding the Captain already inside, handing him some water to calm his aching throat.

"Have you spoken to him?" Malcolm asked urgently, as his friend entered his bedchamber.

The former clan-leader nodded. "Aye, but as to what his decision will be, only he can answer that. I've given him till tomorrow night to think it over."

"What do you think his choice will be?" the Captain asked.

The scarred warrior shrugged. "Who can say? Tis an awful lot we're asking of the lad. Remember, if he goes through with this, there'll be no going back."

"True," Malcolm winced. "Oh, I wish it had never come to this. I know he is leader now, but he's still so young. You were right in saying it was unfair of us to ask this of him."

"But there is no other choice, My Liege," the Captain added. "We all know what will happen eventually if we don't do this. The people's fear and distrust of them grows more each day. As such, their clan will either be subjected to bigotry, or worse shattered by day. At least this way, their clan has a chance of a better life. We all do."

Malcolm nodded. "Aye."

"The way ye both strive to protect my clan honours me more than I can say," the Mentor said gratefully. "But this is far too much. Mayhap we should just forget the whole thing."

"No!" Malcolm said forcefully. "This isn't just about you, old friend, it's also about my kind, my clan…" He then went off into another rage of coughs, forcing the Captain to intervene, patting his back and handing him his water. "No matter what anyone else here says, my clan depends on the protection that you and your clan offer us. If it weren't for you, the Vikings and other such rogues would have ransacked us ages ago. If we didn't have your protection…we'd be open to all sorts of attacks."

The Mentor stayed silent for a moment and then nodded, accepting the Prince's reasoning.

"What are we to do then, if the lad doesn't go ahead with the plan?" the Captain then asked.

"I've made clear that it is his choice," the Mentor told them. "As leader, if he chooses not to go ahead with it then we must respect his decision. If, on the other hand, he can't decide, then I told him that I would temporarily take back lead of the clan until another leader could be found."

The Captain gave a sly grin. "Mayhap we should consider you for this role then instead?"

The Mentor blushed fiercely, which was uncommon for him. "I…don't think that would be appropriate, my friend."

"As I recall, haven't those of your clan sometimes done it?" the Captain asked curiously.

"True, but it's very seldom. And even so, the thought of… Well, let's just say it would be too strange."

"But if you do have to get a new leader, then we may not have sufficient time," the Captain said, frustrated.

"I am still here you know, _Robbie_," Malcolm said wryly, addressing the Captain by his true name. "I'm not dead yet, nor am I deaf. I respect my friend's decision, and agree with him to give the young one time to decide."

The Captain looked at him sadly. It drove him to despair to see the Prince suffer so, as he had always viewed him as a younger brother. He had done ever since he had saved him from the former king Indulf, when Malcolm and his mother, the late Queen Katherine, had been held hostage by the tyrant.

Indulf had slain Malcolm's father just before he had been born, but had kept him and his mother alive in case Malcolm's half-brothers, Duff and Kenneth, should ever attempt an attack, thus securing his right to the throne. They had been his prisoners for more than eight years before the Captain, or Robbie as he had been known back when he had been but a simple peasant, had saved the young prince.

When Indulf was eventually defeated and banished, Robbie had remained with Malcolm as a mentor-figure, travelling with him across Scotland until they met the Gargoyles. Once a pact had been made between their two clans, they had built Castle Wyvern together, and Robbie had become its captain.

"But…" he said hesitantly.

"You need not worry, Captain," a deep voice said behind them.

The three of them turned their eyes to the balcony door, which had opened unnoticed during their conversation, revealing the large warrior standing before them.

"Lad…?" the Mentor began.

"I have thought long and hard about what you said, My Mentor," the young leader continued. "Truth be told, I was more than willing to take you up on your offer, to step down and allow someone else to take on the responsibility that you are all proposing. Part of me still wants to take that way out…" He paused, taking in slow deep breaths. "But I did not become leader just to shake off my duties and leave at the first obstacle. I took an oath to protect and serve my clan to the best of my abilities… I cannot back down when it suits me."

His Mentor looked at him with admiration, pride, and a little sadness. "Lad…are ye sure?" he asked him finally. "Ye do remember what I said about this decision being final? There's no going back."

The warrior paused for a few moments, but then finally just nodded. "For the good of the clan…both clans…I am willing."

"Excellent!" Malcolm said, overjoyed. "Come here now, we must make preparations."

"Aye, we must," the Captain added, and then added. "But first things first… We must each take an oath and swear that none of what we are planning leaves these four walls. We can't risk any word of this reaching the Princess nor anyone else, especially the Church. They would never allow this. Agreed?"

The other occupants of the room nodded.

"How will ye deal with the Church?" the Mentor asked. He had never understood why even the King had to answer to the Human's religious sects. Wasn't the king supposed to be the all-ruling one? Humans were just plain strange sometimes.

"Leave them to me," Malcolm smiled briefly. "I will speak to Brother Edmund. I am certain we can trust him to keep silent. He cares for your clan as much as I do, if not more."

"Very well," the Captain agreed. "But no one else, save thy brother the King." He then looked to the clan's young leader. "And secondly… Lad, there is one more thing we should discuss. To do what we are planning, ye will need to have a name of your own."

The young one looked at him, bewildered. "A name?" he said. "Is that really necessary? My kind has never had names before."

The Captain nodded. "Aye, ye will need it when the time comes." He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful as he stared intently at the large warrior, eyeing his huge size and stature, until a thought suddenly came into his head. "How does the name _Goliath_ suit you?"

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Over the next few weeks, the two Gargoyles and the Captain met with Prince Malcolm many times. What they discussed was known only between them and nobody else, not even the Prince's own daughter. They had had one meeting with Brother Edmund, the castle's Monk, but even he refused to discuss anything that had been said.

During this time, Malcolm's health continued to worsen until finally, after yet another week of harsh pain, he breathed his last.

His death brought a time of great woe for all of Wyvern, both Human and Gargoyle alike. There was not a single individual at his funeral procession who didn't weep; even the old Mentor who had been known to only cry once at the death of his mate years ago.

The young Princess had not wanted the Gargoyles anywhere near her father's funeral, but the Captain had convinced her that it would dishonour her father's memory if she didn't allow his greatest friends and allies to attend. Reluctantly, she accepted the Captain's advice and gave them her permission.

With the death of her father, Katherine was to rule Wyvern. Normally, a child would not be allowed to rule so young, even if she was the rightful heir, and usually would have been sent to her next of kin, her uncle King Kenneth, until such time when she was old enough. But the journey to her uncle's home was long, and the land was infested with rogues and thieves. Plus, there was no one else to govern the castle, as Wyvern was almost completely isolated from the rest of Scotland.

In the end, it was decided that they would not risk the Princess's safety. So she would remain at Wyvern, but would accept council from her father's most trusted adviser who was, of course, the Captain of The Guard. He would advise her in all decisions concerning the kingdom until such time when she was old enough to make them herself.

As expected by most, the Princess' first order following her coronation had been to have all the Gargoyles shattered during the day. Fortunately, the Captain had been there to _kindly_ remind her of the promise she had made to her father, to honour the treaty between their respective clans. Grudgingly, she once again relented and chose to honour her father's memory, allowing the clan safe haven.

As for the young leader of the Gargoyle clan, he had decided for some odd reason to go against Gargoyle tradition and take on a name, calling himself _Goliath_. But what was even more bizarre was that he had chosen to end his relationship, of many years, with his beloved Angel of the Night, as he called her.

Every member of the clan had been shocked at this news, as they had all been waiting for them to declare themselves as official mates. In fact, they had been unofficial mates now for several years, and everyone had expected them to make it official once Goliath had chosen his new Second, which again they had expected to be her.

All anyone knew was that one night Goliath had asked to speak to her, and a few minutes later she had stormed out after throwing some kind of half-talisman at him, her eyes flaring red and filled with tears.

Every one of Goliath's rookery, including his closest brother, the large aqua-coloured one with the fin-like ears, the two long upright horns and the red chest-armour and wristlets, had hard-pressed him about it, but all Goliath would say was that he could not talk about it.

Eventually they ceased their constant hounding of him, deciding that if he didn't want to tell them what was wrong then it was senseless of them to continue their persecution. After all, Goliath had never been one to make rash decisions before, so he must have a good excuse, even if they couldn't see what it was…mustn't he?

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**Ten Years Later; 994 A.D.:**

The Viking leader, Hakon, kept close to the walls of the castle, breathing heavily as the sounds of roaring Gargoyles and the frightened screams of his own men echoed in the night.

He and his army had arrived on the shoreline of Scotland two nights ago, after wandering the seas for days looking for something worthwhile for them to plunder. They had eventually found a small village near the coastline, which they had quickly attacked; slaughtering what had passed for warriors there, ransacking it for anything of value. But it was only a small village, with no treasures, cheap cloths and barely any food. The only thing, as it turned out, even remotely valuable had been the people themselves, who could be sold as slaves.

During the first battle, the surviving villagers had fled to this castle, so Hakon and his men had naturally followed them. Since the village had been a bitter disappointment, not coming close to satisfying their hunger for battle and their thirst for loot, they intended to make up for it by taking the castle and everything within it.

Of course, they hadn't anticipated the presence of the Gargoyles.

Hakon paused, attempting to catch his breath.

"_RRRRRRRR…!"_

A low deep growl reached his ears, making him turn around.

What he saw was the most hideous and frightening monstrosity he had ever seen! It looked like something that had been spewed by the sea, with fish-like ears, and skin the colour of ocean-blue… It was half the size of a horse, thick with muscle, jaws that looked like they could crunch right through metal, and gleaming white eyes that sent shivers right down his spine.

The beast's eyes flared as it crouched low, growling menacingly.

It then gave one loud snarl and leapt at him, just giving him barely enough time to jump out of its way as it whooshed right past, leaving clawmarks in the solid stonewall.

Hakon hurried over to the other flight of stairs, only to find another obstacle standing in his way.

A large Gargoyle glared down at him. It was not as huge as the lavender one that had awakened right before him, but big enough, with aqua tone skin and ears similar to that of the beast-dog.

"Have at thee, Viking scum!" the monster warrior snarled, brandishing his halberd, a weapon that was like a cross between a spear and a battleaxe, at him.

Hakon gave a snarl of his own, never one for backing down from a challenge, especially when the challenge was given with an insult to his heritage. He roared, striking at the Gargoyle with his sword, but the beast was too fast and cunning for him to anticipate.

The Gargoyle warrior easily avoided the Viking's strikes, dodging from side to side, and blocking his blows with his weapon.

"You fight well, demon!" Hakon sneered, as he clashed his sword with the Gargoyle's halberd. "But don't expect the devil, or whoever you worship, to come rescue you!"

The Gargoyle gave a low growl, but continued to evade the Viking's every move, while striking out at every opportunity. "You have me confused with your own kind, human! We Gargoyles don't have a deity to speak of!"

"Then that means your soul will have no one but me to claim it when I dislodge your head from your shoulders!"

Hakon roared again, raising his sword as the Gargoyle lost hold of its halberd, letting it fall from his grasp, and struck at him.

Unfortunately for Hakon, the Gargoyle had purposely lost hold of its weapon, renewing his hold on it just as its head neared the warrior's claw. He blocked the Viking's sword with his arm, the blade clinking off the red metal of the wristlet he had on, and with his free arm that held the weapon he shoved his halberd forward…right into Hakon's heart.

He stood still there for a moment, seemingly in shock, blood pouring from the open wound in his chest, as he coughed and spluttered. His body shuddered, as he backed away slowly, before giving one final glare to his opponent, muttering "Miserable…glorified…_pebble_!"

With his sword still in his hand, he raised his head up.

"ODIN!" Hakon roared his god's name to the heavens with all his remaining strength. It was the custom among his people, when near death, to yell out the name of their god with a sword in their hand, so that they may enter Valhalla, home of the gods and final resting place for all Vikings.

No sooner had he yelled out the god's sacred name, he fell to the ground dead.

The Gargoyle stood there for a moment, staring at the Viking's corpse, bloody halberd still in his claw. He was puzzled a little by the way Humans sometimes threw themselves into their religion. He knew little of gods, as Gargoyles had never had any. They had faith when they went into battle, or faith in their belief that a Gargoyle's duty was to protect, and they believed in Dragons, but as for gods…they knew nothing of such beings.

"Second!" the voice of his leader called out. He looked up just as Goliath landed down on the battlement.

"Tis over," he said. "The Vikings are in retreat. The night is won!"

The aqua Gargoyle nodded, but pointed down to the dead Viking at his feet where even now their watchdog was sniffing at it. "What should we do about him?"

Goliath thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Take a small group and carry his body and those of his other fallen warriors to the outskirts of the forest. Leave them where their kinsmen will find them. They will see to the proper rites."

His rookery brother nodded in agreement, and knelt down to pick the Viking's body up.

The aqua Gargoyle had been made Clan-Second a short time after Goliath had become leader. He had no name, like most of those in the clan preferred, though the Captain of The Guard and Brother Edmund, the castle's monk, often referred to him as _Othello_, claiming that it suited him.

He was a fine Second, and everyone believed that Goliath had made the right choice in selecting him, although everyone had expected the redheaded female, who had at one time been Goliath's intended mate, would have acquired the title. Even though she and Goliath were no longer together, she was still the finest warrior in the whole clan, second only to him.

The break-up had been painful for both of them. Although Goliath still hadn't given an explanation as to why he had ended their relationship, in the end she had accepted his decision.

It had been a long, hard and emotional time, but eventually they had resolved their feelings, agreeing once again to merely be comrades-in-arms and rookery siblings. He had even asked her to be Clan-Second, but she had refused, believing it wouldn't be a good idea for them to work together so closely. So, in the end, he decided to go with his closest rookery brother, as he was the next best warrior in the clan and understood Goliath better than even he did sometimes.

As for his former Angel of The Night… She had ended up mating with one of their other rookery brothers, a lean and handsome warrior who had been a great comfort to her during the break-up. He offered her solace and understanding, giving her comfort whenever she needed it, which she gladly took. They had now been official mates for over several years, and seemed really happy together. They had even managed to produce an egg together, before the Breeder's Moon had ended.

The rest of the Vikings fled the castle, as a rain of arrows poured down on them from the soldiers on the battlements.

_"Our arrows make them run!"_ one soldier yelled excitedly.

_"They'll think twice before coming back!"_ another added.

The Gargoyles all stood together on one of the larger battlements up above, watching the Vikings retreat. Many of them scowled, as they listened to the soldiers bragging on about how _they_ had made the Vikings flee, not the Gargoyles.

"I'd love to see what would happen if there was ever a night when we weren't here and the Vikings came back," a small green Gargoyle with webwings said to his two rookery brothers, a largely overweight one with aquamarine skin, and a lean red Gargoyle with a long beak.

The three of them had always been together since their hatching, and they were known together simply as the _Trio_ by all their brothers and sisters. None of the clan's children, aside from another group of four youngsters, was as close as these three were.

"Wouldn't we all," the red one smirked.

Goliath stood by at the battlements with his clan, bandaging his own claw, which had been struck by the Viking Hakon's sword right after he had awoken. He listened to his clanmates and the soldiers down below. His face showed no emotion, but inwardly he found himself growing aggravated, too. Each time it was the same. They would save the castle from attack, and the soldiers would fool themselves into thinking that they were the heroes.

He turned around and saw his former Angel together with her mate, tending his wounds, her eyes full of love and concern.

He was happy that his former love had found happiness, but though he never showed it, he couldn't help but feel painful grief whenever he saw the two of them together, knowing that his brother was standing in a place where he should be…at his Night-Angel's side.

As Goliath looked around, he also saw his other rookery brother, the one many called the sly one, or who some of the humans named Iago. He had recently returned from a year of banishment, which he had been sentenced to after starting a fight between Goliath and Othello.

He scowled when he saw his brother. He knew that when a Gargoyle returned from their exile, they were to be welcomed and their past sins forgiven, but even so, he could never bring himself to trust Iago…assuming he ever had. His brother was bad news, plain and simple.

Iago stood by, separated from the rest of the clan, as he viewed the scene with his usual devious expression. He seemed to have an eternal look of deceit and treachery upon him, which made everyone forever suspect that he was up to no good…an assumption that was often proved correct.

Goliath was so focused upon him at that moment, wondering what mischief he was up to again, that he failed to notice someone coming up beside him.

"Goliath?" a voice said.

He turned around, and found the Captain behind him, along with his old Mentor, both of them looking concerned. "We need to speak," Robbie told him.

Goliath looked at his Mentor behind him who nodded. "Very well," he said, following them down one of the flights of steps.

"I take it from the look on yuir face that you were listening to what some of those ungrateful whiners were saying down below?" the Captain said gruffly.

He sighed. "Captain, it's nothing," he tried to assure him. "It's only…"

"It is not nothing, Goliath!" the Captain replied hotly. "If it were just them I'd be almost content, but it's not… The Princess is just as bad as they are. Every night when we sit down to dinner, if I make even one small remark about you or your clan she rebukes me by telling me, and I quote, _don't mention those monster's names in my presence_."

Goliath groaned. "Perhaps, but…"

"Perhaps nothing, Goliath." The Captain looked at him seriously. "We all hoped it wouldn't come to this, but it has."

His eyes widened a little at what the Captain was saying, and looked to his former leader for help, but only saw confirmation in his old Mentor's eyes.

"Surely you're overreacting just a…" he began.

"Lad," the Captain said in a serious tone. "There's no point in beating about the bush any longer. We have to face it…it's time. We all agreed that we would wait as long as we did, to see if the Princess would get any wiser in her later years. That has obviously not happened. You know now what we must do."

Goliath swallowed, and looked once again to his Mentor.

"He speaks the truth, lad," the old Gargoyle replied. "We all knew this night would come, though we all hoped it wouldn't."

He groaned, feeling his world coming to an end, but remembered the wise words of his Mentor, _A leader puts the welfare of his clan first before anything else_.

"Let's go and get it over with then," he said finally.

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The Captain entered the Great Hall, as all the soldiers sat down for the evening meal, laughing and joking around, talking about the battle as though they had won it all by themselves. He came up close to his seat at the end of the table on the right, passing by two soldiers…

"_I don't mind telling you, I thought we were all under the sword there for a while,"_ one said to the other.

"_Aye, a fine soldier is our Captain of The Guard,"_ the other replied.

The first soldier snorted. "_Captain of the __**Gargoyles**__ ye mean." _

"_He'd fit right well on the cornices with them, it's a fact."_ The two of them laughed.

The Captain sought hard to control his temper, wanting to draw his sword and run those arrogant fools through, but kept his anger in check. He knew that tonight was not the night for losing control, and carried on to his seat.

"Our thanks for a battle well fought, good Captain," the Princess said graciously, smiling as he came near her.

"The credit is not mine to take, Your Highness," the Captain said honestly, as he came near her. "Without Goliath and his Gargoyles, our defence would have proven useless."

The Princess lost her smile, scowling at the Gargoyle leader's name. "Please," she said. "Don't mention that monster's name in my presence."

'Oh aye,' the Captain thought miserably. 'This is certainly going to be _a lot_ of fun tonight.'

The main doors suddenly banged open, revealing the Gargoyle in question, together with his old Mentor, the former leader with the scarred eye.

Katherine's face flared up a little at the sight of the old warrior, fighting hard to keep control of her own temper, and her fear of the large creatures. The rest of the crowd all looked up, startled by their sudden arrival.

"Your pardon, Your Highness," the Captain said, approaching her at the head of the table. "I took the liberty of asking them to appear this evening."

The Princess looked at him in outrage. "Captain," she almost cried out. "We are most seriously displeased! To allow beasts in the dining hall…!"

"Begging your further pardon, Your Highness," the Captain continued. "But the reason why I asked them here is not because of the battle tonight…but in an official capacity."

She looked at him briefly in wonder, but rarely took her eyes off the huge mountain of muscle heading her way. "What do you mean?" she asked.

'This should be interesting,' the Captain thought, and answered out loud. "Years ago, your father, Prince Malcolm may he rest in peace, sought to ensure the longevity of the peace treaty between our two clans, Human and Gargoyle. He wanted to make sure that the Gargoyles would be well looked after, long after he had departed to the grave."

Katherine's hands shivered a little from the talk of her father. "My father was a noble man and a great ruler," she said. "But everyone knew he tended to spend a little too much time with…_them_." She glared at Goliath who met her gaze calmly.

"That's because he understood their importance to us," he replied, and at Katherine's hard look, which suggested she was about to say more, he quickly continued. "Your Highness, I meant what I said just now about how useless our defence would have been if not for Goliath's clan. And today has just been the latest example in a long list of battles over the years. During that time, Goliath's clan has aided and saved us from all manner of enemies…the Archmage, Vikings, bandits and even some rogue Gargoyles. They fought against their own kind to save _us_."

Katherine showed no response, but remained very still in her seat at the head of the table.

"And let us not forget how this treaty was first started, Your Highness," the Captain then added. "Your father met them as a young boy, and it was because of their assistance that he and your uncle, King Kenneth, prevailed in the battle against the tyrant Culen. Thanks to they, your uncle now sits on the throne."

He paused for a few moments, allowing his history lesson to sink in, before continuing.

"Your father knew how important their protection was to us and our home," he explained. "That was the main reason why he took extra special care of the treaty, hoping that one day our two clans would be united as one." He paused for a moment, sighing deeply. "But…sadly that has not come to be." He looked up at the Princess with a hard but still respectful look in his eyes. "Your own misguided hatred and prejudice for Goliath's clan has caused your father's treaty to crumble."

She stared at him in indignation. "How dare ye!" she said. "You dare accuse me of betraying my father's memory?"

"Nay," the Captain shook his head. "But your father did."

She paused at the Captain's words.

"When your father was on his deathbed," he explained sadly. "He finally had enough time on his hands to see what kind of a girl you had grown up into. He saw the way you acted around the clan, the way ye scowled whenever he mentioned them in front of you… It didn't take a genius to know ye had issues with them."

"You're walking on dangerous ground, Captain," she almost hissed at him, but deep down his words were cutting into her like a cold blade, as he spoke of her father and how she was dishonouring him by abusing the treaty.

"Your father only wanted peace and security for Castle Wyvern," he went on. "Not just for us, but also for Goliath's clan…but especially he wanted our two clans to be united as one people." He looked at Katherine. "But when he finally saw and accepted what kind of a girl you had become, he knew that was impossible, at least not if you were allowed to rule…"

"What?" Katherine looked up at these words.

The Captain stuck out his chin, as he prepared to give his last statement. 'This is it,' he thought.

"Your father knew that if you took the throne," he stated. "The Gargoyles would know nothing but bigotry and contempt, despite all that they do for us. He feared that in time the clan would rebel and choose to leave, letting us fend on our own. He knew that we wouldn't stand a chance if they were to do that, even if no one else did. And even if we could, the Gargoyles deserve a whole lot better than to be treated as dogs!"

The Captain stared hard at her, and then at the crowd of curious onlookers sitting around him.

"Before I say anything else, I would like to make point that everything I'm about to say has been ordered by his late Highness, Prince Malcolm, and agreed with his brother King Kenneth. He wrote all his wishes down on paper, on his last will and testament, which I now possess. Further more, everyone in Castle Wyvern is henceforth ordered never to reveal anything of what I'm about to say outside our castle's walls. No one outside our kingdom is to know of tonight's revelation, on the penalty of death!"

Katherine glared at the Captain, her frustration grown beyond control. "What wishes, Captain? And what _revelation_?"

The Captain turned back to look at her, his face showing no emotion, but just common courtesy and honour of duty. "His wish…" he proclaimed to all in the Great Hall. "That you would henceforth be betrothed to he who is now leader of the Gargoyle clan…_Goliath_!"

The princess's jaw dropped, and her eyes widened, as she just stared at the Captain in shock, while the rest of the room erupted into a chorus of outraged disbelief.

"_What? Impossible!" _

"_No Human could ever possibly marry a __**Gargoyle**__!" _

"_This is outrageous and God damn unnatural, that's what it is!" _

The Captain held her stare, as the chaos and commotion carried on around them. He then turned to the Gargoyle leader, motioning him to come closer.

"Your Highness," he said in an official manner. "Allow me to officially introduce Goliath…_your husband to be_."

**To Be Continued… **


	2. Chapter 2

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles and Gargoyles comics are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
>No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.<br>All original characters are the property of Storyseeker and Hardwing.**_

_**Here it is, the newly revamped saga! With fresh new/extended and altered scenes! **_

_**Once again, this story was co-written with the great author Hardwing! Many thanks!**_

_**This fic saga is set in an alternate universe, in Wyvern's past, with characters from the Gargoyles comics, the Dark Ages Saga in TGS and some of Hardwing's own characters. It starts off right after the events shown in the show's episode 'Long Way To Morning' in 984 A.D. where the events in that chapter lead to a different conclusion for the clan. It is also set in the same timeline as the show in that era, with two small differences… and that's Goliath didn't get his name until 984 A.D. and the eggs hatched soon in 995 A.D.**_

_**Oh, and in case some people get offended at some of the sexist remarks in this saga… Please remember that it is set in the medieval ages (things were different back then). **_

_**Many thanks to Kimberly Towle for her suggestions, and to the author Aesop for all his proofreading!**_

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**Scotland; Castle Wyvern; 994 A.D.: **

The whole Hall was alive with outraged chatter, as the Humans talked and argued amongst themselves. Yet, unlike minutes before when they had been celebrating _their_ glorious victory over the raiding north-men, this time the voices were filled with shock and anger.

Like the centre of a tornado, there was a stark contrast and relative peace around the Princess and the Magus on one side, and the Captain of The Guard and Goliath on the other.

The Princess was still trying to overcome her shock at the Captain's story, while the Magus was quick to raise his voice.

"This is the gravest offence!" he accused the Captain, giving the Gargoyle beside him a brief glare. "You dare to propose that the Princess marry such a savage and _unnatural_ creature!"

The Captain thinned his eyes at him; wanting to bark his own comment about what he thought was more unnatural. Gargoyles were the way they were because they were hatched so, because nature had intended them to be that way, whereas the Magus had chosen and studied to be a being of magic. So which was the more unnatural creature, he or the Gargoyles?

Before he could speak, though, the Princess beat him to the punch and spoke first.

"You are right, Magus," Katherine agreed, having regained her voice as the Hall slowly became silent again. "Even if you speak the truth, we will not agree! For while I do wish to respect and to honour my father's memory, his last days were plagued by a heavy poison, which for certain had reached his mind, making his decisions vague and no doubt weakened his will against…_less favourable advice_."

The last words came out as pure venom, as the Princess eyed the Captain. 'They let him die, and now they make a profit out of it,' she thought. 'Never!'

"I can assure you this was not the case, Your Highness," the Captain responded, his lips a small line as he held them together to hold his anger in check. How dare the young shrew insinuate that he had taken advantage of Prince Malcolm, the man he had known since childhood and had loved like a brother!

"The King and the Holy Church will never allow such a...a…" she stuttered, "…an _abominable_ act against God to take place!"

"They already have," her future-husband broke his silence, though he spoke not with a bemused tongue. In fact, he had seemed almost completely emotionless throughout this entire fiasco.

She glared at Goliath, as the last chatter in the room had suddenly died away. While Goliath merely met her cold glare with a calm neutral stare of his own.

"He speaks the truth," the Captain concurred. "Prince Malcolm and his Majesty, King Kenneth II, had contact through letters before the Prince's death, and although the King was not pleased with his Highness's intention, he agreed with his brother's wish and swore it would come to be. For in his own kingdom the Prince's word would forever be law, just as his brother had sworn to him years before, and the King never breaks a vow…_ever_."

"The Church..." she began.

"…Will not be concerned with this topic," he stopped her. "The Prince entrusted good Brother Edmund with his wishes. Brother Edmund served the Church for many loyal years before coming to Wyvern, and has happily agreed to fulfil his Highness's last wish by performing the wedding."

"Even a Monk can not perform a marriage against the will of the Church!" she renewed her point.

"Aye, but he can perform _a_ marriage," the middle-aged Human explained with barely hidden amusement. "And once that is done, he will then send a letter as endorsement that he married the Princess of Wyvern to one of her _warriors_ here, which is no lie. There should be no problems with that quarter, considering how infrequent visits from Church officials are."

Maybe it was the amusement she heard in his voice, or perhaps her own realisation that there was no way out for her from this betrothal, but whatever it was, it made the Princess's pulse run wild and caused her to throw her silver goblet down on the floor mere inches from the Captain's feet. But even this didn't help to calm her, as she glared at the calm faces of the beast and her disloyal subject.

"How dare ye?" the young ruler of Wyvern shouted, forgetting for a moment to use the proper high-class language engrained into her from early childhood, speaking in her natural Scottish tongue, her voice high with anger. "We would rather die than become this _monster's_ wife!"

Beside him, sitting at their tables, the Captain could hear murmurs coming from some of his higher soldiers, and he didn't need to hear it to realise that they were talking about taking the Princess's side, and preferably his post, even if that meant blood on their swords.

'Damned vermin,' he thought, and then sighed. 'It's now or never...'

"This arrangement was approved by the King," he added. "And should you refuse to accept it, then know that in doing so you will be disobeying a direct order of your father, one that he signed with _**The Royal Seal of Wyvern**_!"

With these words the Captain held up the Prince's last will and testament, which he had been carrying on his person the whole time, so that everyone in the room could see it, not just because he wanted them to, but because he _needed_ them to as well.

"Even in death the Prince, as your father, has the right to marry you off to whomsoever he chooses. And by signing his choice with the Royal Seal, he has made it law. If you choose not to go ahead with the marriage, then by doing so you will lose your birthright as Princess of Wyvern forever!"

Silence prevailed once again.

Although most, if not all, of the gathered Humans were ready to protest against the words of a long dead Prince, which were being spoken by a man not highly respected, the knowledge that the Seal of Wyvern validated all this, however, was another story entirely. Anything that had been signed with the Royal Seal of Wyvern was law, and not even the Princess could deny that…or at least not without consequences.

Princess Katherine knew this best of all.

For a long time, she stared on the paper of the scroll with the red wax Seal at the bottom, its sight almost burning her eyes. Then she closed her eyes for a moment, as though to be released from this image.

Her very soul was even now shouting at her to continue spurning the Captain's ridiculous proclamation to take on a Gargoyle as her husband. It was a voice she very much wanted to listen to, but if she did…what would become of her then?

Even if she had all of Scotland agreeing with her… To go against the will and wishes of her father, even if he were now deceased, would still be a sin. For it was every daughter's place in this world to listen, obey and respect their father's word. Those of royal blood were no exception to this. And since her father had made this betrothal official by using the Royal Seal, she would be breaking the law of Wyvern by refusing his command. In doing so, she would not only lose her honour and respect, but also her birthright and everything with it.

She would no longer be ruler of Wyvern, nor would she be a Princess. She would not even have any family, for by losing her birthright she would also lose any connection she had with her kin. It was a strict law, especially for Royalty and Nobility. She would be an outcast, shunned by all in her class.

'Damned if I do and damned if I don't,' she thought bitterly. If she did refuse then she would be an outcast and lose everything, and if she accepted then she would still be shunned. For she doubted that many of the Nobles around Scotland would want to come visit a Princess who had an animal for a husband.

She fought back a tear threatening to escape her eye, her thoughts ablaze.

"We submit us under the wishes of our father," she gave in with a pressed voice, looking angrily at the Captain and then lastly at Goliath. "Under the law of Wyvern…we will marry thee."

A loud storm of protest broke lose, as the rest of the Humans stood up in anger and disgust. The Magus, meanwhile, just stared at the Princess in shock, his mouth uttering silent words.

"Princess…?" he whispered, but she would not return his look, as she just turned and walked out of the Great Hall, not even sparing him nor her future-husband a glance.

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**One Hour Later: **

In a distant corner of the courtyard, far away from where the refugees had made camp while waiting for the Vikings to leave their shores and make their land secure again, a large group of the clan had gathered to discuss the recent events.

The former leader had gathered most of the elders together, and those of Goliath's generation, to inform them of the night's revelation concerning their leader's once secret betrothal. Needless to say, their reactions had been a mixture of shock, disbelief and outrage.

"This is total madness!" a male elder exclaimed, with several of the clan agreeing with him. "A mating between a Human and one of us... Have you ever heard of such a thing before? It's unnatural!"

"You can't call it mating anyhow. What is it for? Hatchlings? Love?" a female elder joined in, irritated. "It is just a Human form of agreement."

"Which should help improve our lives greatly," the clan's storyteller threw in.

"This has yet to be proven," the female elder replied. "I can't see how some words written down, even by the late Prince, could protect us during the day."

The old Mentor, who would have been called Hudson in another time and place, tried to calm his siblings down, explaining to them the reasons for the secrecy in Goliath's betrothal.

Some metres away, still in earshot, a smaller group had gathered together. The group consisted of Othello the Clan-Second, his mate Desdemona who was a beautiful Gargess with deep-orange skin and unusually split wings, a beaked Gargoyle named Thersities with two large horns, one of which was slightly malformed, and Goliath's former Night-Angel, the azure-skinned and redheaded beauty.

The latter of them was leaning against a wall while the other siblings stood around, her face unreadable.

Although none of the clan, except for Goliath, had an _official_ name that they used constantly, like a Human, Brother Edmund had named most of them in his journals, which he had done so only to ease his agonising confusion in trying to identify them when writing about them in his entries.

"Sooo...finally our leader has found someone," Thersities joked. "Is anyone else burning to see their mating flight?"

The silence that emitted on this was in a way louder than any battle cry, but near the red-haired sister it was almost tangible.

"Well, at least this gives an explanation as to why he has never chosen a mate," Desdemona noted, eyeing her sister watchfully, remembering very well the state she had been in the night Goliath had broken up with her. "It is just… They shouldn't have kept it secret for so long... This wasn't fair to the clan."

"Our beautiful sister is right," a smooth voice added. "This is serious indeed, and quite a disrespect for the clan's trust in him."

The siblings looked around and saw Iago coming over to them from whatever dark corner he must have been hiding in, to listen in on their conversation. He was a light brown-skinned and black-haired male with a sly look about him, something that he was _all_ about. With the exception of their late brother Roland, a renegade Gargoyle and former leader of the Bandits, Iago was the worst troublemaker in the whole clan.

He had been banished a year ago for inciting a fight between Goliath and Othello by _suggesting_ that there had been some sort of romance going on between the Clan-Leader and Desdemona. It hadn't been true, of course, as they all soon realised, but not before Othello had given Goliath a darkened eye and several cracked ribs.

After they had all calmed down and realised the truth, that Iago had masterminded the whole situation just so that he could have an attempt at claiming Desdemona as his mate, their sly brother had been banished from the clan for one year. That had ended one week ago, and he had, rather unfortunately, returned.

Iago had always had an unhealthy obsession with the Clan-Second's mate, even when they had been hatchlings. Before she had finally chosen Othello to be her other half, Iago had been obsessed with her and wouldn't stop pestering her every minute of the night by trying to woo her and convince her that he was the best in the clan for her. Even after she and Othello became official mates, he never left her alone.

"I didn't say..." Desdemona began, frustrated by his turning of her words. Iago had always had a talent for that, almost constantly causing trouble because of it.

"Oh, but it is," her dark rookery brother noted with an all too wide a smile while turning to her mate. "Shouldn't the Second address this point to the leader?"

"I don't need you to tell me my duties!" Othello growled on him, causing Desdemona to lay a claw on his right shoulder. "Besides, his plan works!"

"This has yet to be seen," he replied politely, and something in his eyes told Desdemona that he hoped for quite the opposite. "I bet she will have him destroyed during the day, claiming it to be an accident."

'He truly hopes that,' she thought, more than slightly shocked. 'Why did he have to come back after his banishment?'

She had always believed in second chances and never holding a grudge, but with Iago… He had had more chances than she could count, and his continued presence was forever a torment for her.

When he had been banished, she had secretly hoped that he would never return so that she would be free of him at long last. Alas, though, the night when his exile had come to an end he had returned, much to her distress. She had almost hoped that Goliath would turn him away, forbidding him from ever coming home, but she knew that could not be so. That was not the Gargoyle way.

Whenever a Gargoyle did wrong, they were tried and often banished from their clan for a certain amount of time. At the end of their exile it was their choice whether to return or not. If they did return, then by law and tradition, justice had been served and no word of their past misdeeds would ever be spoken of again, allowing them all the chance for a fresh start.

Having to turn from the sight of her brother, she turned around to see Thersities and... She noticed that her flame-haired sister had silently left, and caught a last glance of her vanishing into one of the castle's towers, probably awaiting the arrival of her mate.

At least that was what she thought.

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Iago's eyes had always been the sharpest of his rookery, which was how he alone had noticed their flame-headed sister sneak off without telling anyone while he and Desdemona had been _conversing_.

He didn't need to be a genius to figure out where she was going, as she was no doubt going to confront her one time love, Goliath. Why else would she leave without saying anything?

He couldn't resist giving a small smirk, wishing he could be a fly on the wall when she reached their leader. This smirk did not go unnoticed by his siblings, but none of them paid him any mind, as none of them even wanted to talk to him, which was as usual.

When he had woken up that evening, he had found himself on a battlefield in his clan's own home. Only a few hours later, his Mentor had called most of the clan together to announce Goliath's apparently arranged marriage to none other than Princess Katherine.

Like the rest of the clan, he had been shocked and amazed at how such a thing could be possible. He had listened keenly to the old soldier's explanation of the late Prince Malcolm's last request, asking that their clan's leader be betrothed to his daughter. He had done so because he had finally realised what a spoilt and ungrateful brat she truly was, and that he believed being married to the clan leader, thus splitting rule of the castle between both their clans, would help better their lives together.

As he had listened, things that had once made no sense to him became clear. The reason his gigantic brother had ended his relationship with his so-called Angel of the night, the female whom his heart was supposedly pledged to for all eternity was now obvious.

Everyone had wondered this, as before the end of their relationship, Goliath and his Night-Angel had been inseparable, their love soaring. No one had ever been able to discover the reason why their love-struck leader would abandon his love so…until now.

Iago smiled darkly. Ever since Goliath had banished him, he had done nothing but dream of revenge. At the time, the dream of vengeance had seemed small and unlikely, but now…

He felt like laughing and dancing in glee. Goliath's betrothal was nothing less than pure perfection. Not only had he lost his one true love because of it, but also he could tell already by the angry discussions amongst the elders that there was already discord in the clan, which would undoubtedly mean trouble for the leader. Not to mention that he would have to spend the rest of his life with a bratty human who would sooner die than give him a kind word.

And then, of course, there was still his fiery-headed sister for him to contend with.

0000000000

"Is all this really necessary?" Goliath growled in frustration, as tailor after tailor took his measurements and placed seemingly endless layers of cloth on him.

The tailors did not answer at first, mostly because they were sheer terrified of the large beast in their midst.

"I-I-I-I'm afraid so…your…" the first tailor stuttered helplessly, not knowing what to call the Gargoyle. It hadn't been that long ago when he had simply referred to him and his kind as beasts and monsters, but since this one was now marrying their Princess… what were they, or more precisely this one, to be called now?

"Sir," the second tailor added in helpfully. "A couple only marry once in their lifetime, so it is customary for both the bride and groom to look their best."

Goliath grumbled, as he shifted uncomfortably in his new outfit. He was unused to wearing so much attire.

They had fitted him with long lengths of white cloth, covering his bulging-muscular arms, legs and masculine chest. Because of his huge size and stature, it was proving to be difficult to make ready an outfit for him by tonight.

The Captain had insisted that the wedding take place immediately, as he was almost certain that if they waited too long then the Princess would surely find a way to ruin everything.

Goliath groaned, as one tailor took the measurements of his arm again. He knew that his marriage to Princess Katherine was bound to mean certain changes in his life, but he certainly hadn't considered this.

Most Gargoyles weren't exactly known for wearing much in the way of garments, with the exception of the aged who tended to be more sensitive to the cold as they got older. The most that Goliath had ever worn in his entire life had been a loincloth. When the tailors had requested that he remove it, his only response had been a long stare at them, to which they replied by nervously backing off in fear.

"Is this going to take much longer?" he asked in exasperation.

"Why?" a voice said behind him. "Can you not wait to take your intended?"

He froze for a moment, and then sighed, turning around to see his former would-be mate standing at the doorway.

"Greetings, my lo…my sister," he quickly corrected himself. No matter how many times he saw her, each time he did his first urge was to call her his _love_.

"Leave us!" the redheaded Gargoyle ordered, eyeing the tailors distastefully.

The tailors were more than inclined to obey her, as they had wanted nothing more than to leave the room since they had learned the identity of their new Prince. They hurried out of the room, not even sparing a moment to remove some of the needles from the cloth on Goliath's outfit.

Goliath stood where he was, staring at the one who had been the love of his life. He wanted to talk to her, but could not find the words to speak.

"Well?" she asked finally.

"Well what?"

His former Angel's eyes flared red, as she glared at him. "_Well_, why are the clan and I the last to know of your impending mate-ship? Why did you not tell me that you overthrew me because you had your eyes set on that brat of a Princess? And why are you doing this in the _first place_?"

He felt his heart break. The words she spoke were filled with rage, but her eyes, though glowing with the fires of Hell, were filled with tears. He had hurt her more than even he could have imagined.

"My Angel," he called her by her old nickname, one he hadn't used in years, but felt he had to. "I am sorry…"

"_You're sorry_?" she snarled. "I'm the one who's sorry!" Her voice grew louder with each word. "I loved you, Goliath! Even long after I accepted your decision to end our relationship, I still kept hope alive that one night you and I would be reunited, even after my new mate and I came to be! And all the time you were longing for the night when you would bed Wyvern's Princess!"

Goliath's own eyes suddenly flared. "That's not how it was!" he declared angrily. "Believe me, I am sorry for the way I have treated you, but I had no choice."

"How could you not tell me?" some of her rage had gone from her voice, replaced with the sound of choked sobs. "I begged you to tell me what was wrong, why you had stopped loving me. But you wouldn't tell me, not even give me a hint."

He blinked back a tear threatening to spill from his own eye. "I was sworn to secrecy," he explained, "by our Mentor, the Captain, and Prince Malcolm. They did not want anyone to find out what we were planning."

"_I_ had no need to know?" she looked at him almost in shock. "Out of everyone you knew, and everyone you have known since our youth, how could _I_ have not been told? You once said to me you would never hold anything back from me. What changed?"

He sighed. "Because…" He paused; his heart feeling like it was splitting in two. "Yes, you're right. I did promise you I would never hold anything from you, and I am being a coward for not telling you the whole truth." He took a deep breath. "I didn't tell you because… Partly because I was a coward, and partly because…I couldn't be certain you could be trusted."

His redheaded sister stared at him.

"They swore me to secrecy, yes that is true," he continued to explain. "But even if they did, I would have gladly broken my vow to try sparing you any pain. But…the truth is I know you, and I knew how much pain you would be in when I ended our relationship. And like you usually do when you or any of our sisters are hurt, you would have run to the other females for comfort, to talk to. In your emotional state, you could have revealed all to them… I couldn't take that chance, and neither could our Mentor or the others."

"So you just left me wondering all these years," she said bitterly. "Leaving me to agonize over what I had said or done to make you hate me so!"

Goliath started to move toward her, but then stayed back at the heated glare thrown his way. "If I made you feel that way, then I am truly sorry, Angel," he said honestly. "I wish I could go back and do it differently, found some other way to spare you the pain…but I can't."

"Why was it so important for all this to remain secret?"

"If any word had got to the Church, they would have no doubt intervened to put a stop to it. Prince Malcolm and the Captain made sure that no one else besides they, Brother Edmund, the King, myself and our Mentor knew the secret. And we all shared a pact never to tell anyone until tonight when the betrothal was revealed."

The azure-skinned warrior snorted in disgust, her eyes still watering.

They remained that way for a few minutes, Goliath looking down in shame while his former Angel just glared hatefully at him. After a few moments, she finally asked… "Why are you doing it?"

He looked up. "Why am I doing what?"

She gave him a stupid look. "To start with, why are you wearing that glorified bedsheet over you? But most important of all, why are you going through this ridiculous farce of a mate-ship?"

Goliath sighed. "For our clan."

His rookery sister stared at him. "How exactly does this help our clan, you bedding a Human female?"

He growled a little at her choice of words, but chose to ignore them. "The Princess is rightful ruler of this castle, but when I am her husband, by Human law, I will rule. It was Prince Malcolm's wish that we be wed because he thought I could teach her humility."

"_Humility_?"

He nodded. "Yes. You know what she is like, Night-Angel. You above all have tried many a time to convince us of the kind of woman that she is…spoilt, ungrateful and truly hateful towards our kind."

"So you've finally seen the light, eh?" she scoffed almost finding humour in the long delayed realization.

Goliath shrugged his massive shoulders. "I saw the light, as ye put it, many years ago. I just wasn't willing to admit it, because deep down I feared what would happen when she came to power. It was only when our Mentor came to me with his and the Prince's betrothal plan that I finally awoke to myself."

"But why did you ever agree to it?" she asked in desperation. "You don't really think you can change her just because the two of you will each have to wear a ring for the rest of your lives, do you?"

"Perhaps not," he admitted. "But even if she never learns to accept us, or me… By Human law, our marriage will crown me as the new Prince of Wyvern. Since there is very little likelihood that the two of us will ever produce an heir together, then when I die the throne will pass down to my next of kin, which will be the new leader of our clan. Hence our clan will be the new and official rulers of this castle. Not even the King or Church will be able to change that."

"And do you really think the Humans of this castle are going to accept that?" she hissed. "Do you honestly believe they will ever accept a Gargoyle as their new Prince? What makes you think they will not simply shatter you when next you sleep?"

"The Captain and Brother Edmund will see to it that I am unharmed," he revealed. "And the King has already been made aware of the situation. He and Prince Malcolm contacted each other regularly, and the Prince told him his plans. Although reserved at first, the King agreed to see his brother's wishes fulfilled. He originally gave Prince Malcolm this Kingdom to rule as he saw fit, and promised he would allow Malcolm to do so till his dying day. And the King has yet to ever break a vow, especially one to his own kin. If word ever got out that I, his niece's betrothed, had been harmed, King Kenneth would not rest till justice was done."

"You really believe that?" his sister stared at him, incredulous.

He nodded. "If the Prince, the Captain and Brother Edmund all swear to it, then yes, I believe them."

The flame-haired warrior sighed, rubbing her forehead as though in pain. Goliath made to move closer toward her, but she quickly backed up, holding her claw out to him.

"Well, I hope you and your new Human mate are very happy together, _My Leader_," she swore at him, making him chew his lower lip in heartache. She had never once referred to him as her _leader_, not even after they had parted ways. In their whole lives together, she had called him her brother, friend, lover and comrade-in-arms…but never once had she called him leader, not even after he had been made so.

If ever there was a sign that she had now truly gotten over him…then that was it.

She turned her head, making her way to the door to leave, but paused just as she reached for the door-handle.

"Tell me something," she requested, not bothering to turn her head back to him. "Did you willingly decide to sell yourself as husband to the Princess? Was the notion of being Prince too great for you to pass up?"

Goliath watched her from behind, his eyes only flaring slightly at her words.

"Not at first," he admitted. "When our Mentor first told me the plan, I was all against it. I wanted to decline and forget all about it, wanting only to spend my nights with you."

"Then what happened?"

He sighed. "Our Mentor reminded me why, in the beginning, I chose to become Clan-Second and later Leader. It wasn't for the influence or power of position, but because I genuinely cared for and wanted to protect and do good for our clan. By marrying myself to the Princess, I can assure a good and hopeful future for our clan, the best that any of us have dared hope for in many a long year."

"And you have never regretted it, I suppose?" she said almost accusingly.

"Of course I have!" he rebuked. "There isn't a night or even a single moment that goes by when I don't constantly think about all that I have sacrificed, all that I have lost! But even if I had the chance to do it all over again, I would not change anything save for the way I hurt you. Because, like it or not, my once beloved…this farce, as ye call it, is our clan's only hope for a better future. And you know that!"

The two of them stayed silent after that for another few moments, Goliath wanting very much to go over and comfort her, but knowing better than to try that, while his ex-love stayed where she was, claw on the doorhandle, not turning around.

"I cannot forgive you," she said finally, as her claw slowly twisted the doorhandle. "Not after everything you put me through, I just can't. Even after all this time, despite that I am now with another whom I love…it still hurts." Goliath hung his head in shame, his heart close to shattering, as she opened the door. "But…I do understand," she added.

He looked at her.

"As ye said," she continued. "I know better than any in our clan of the hatred and contempt the Humans show for us. And I know you have always put the safety and well being of our clan before anything else in your life. So if you think this joining of you and the Princess can bring hope to our clan again, I will object no longer." She stood there, seemingly frozen. "I only hope it was worth it, Goliath." She said finally, as she continued walking out the room.

"As do I," he said, watching her disappear down the long corridors of Castle Wyvern, out of his sight and in many ways, out of his life.

0000000000

**Two Hours Later: **

Meanwhile, at the other side of the castle, another would-be couple was having their own heated discussion.

"How can you even consider consenting to this…this _travesty_?" the Magus beseeched his Princess.

Katherine stood behind the curtains, listening to her adviser as the royal fitters adjusted her wedding gown, the same dress that her mother had worn at her own wedding.

"Do you think I am actually enjoying this, Magus?" she hissed. "Do you not think that I would rather have my own eyes gouged out rather than commit myself to a…a _beast_?" She shuddered. "I cannot believe my own father has done such a thing. How could he have willingly given consent for his own daughter to be a bride to a Gargoyle? I pray the lord takes mercy on my father's soul for committing such a sin, and mine for going through with it."

That was not the only thing she prayed for. For through his marriage to her, Goliath had robbed her of everything! As was the custom everywhere, when married the husband would inherit everything that was his wife's, including her title. Even the husband's own kin would have more rights than she, for if the husband were to die and they had no children, then all his estate, including that that had once been hers, would be passed on to his next of kin.

She had always known that this would happen one day when she married, that her royal duties and responsibilities would pass on to whomever she wed. But she had never imagined whom her husband would turn out to be. She felt like she was trapped in her own worst nightmare.

"You don't have to do this," the Magus insisted, speaking through the curtain. "Just tell them you have changed your mind, and you refuse. The whole of Wyvern will be behind you."

She blinked back the tears, refusing to cry any longer. She had already wept for over an hour, ceasing only so that the fitters could perform their task. The Captain had insisted that the marriage take place immediately, as it had all been arranged with Brother Edmund.

'Brother Edmund,' she thought. She had never been quite sure what to make of him. Her father had certainly considered him a close friend. He had always been good to her, and was very wise as a man of the Church. The only thing that had stopped her from respecting him completely had been his friendship with the Gargoyles. He had tried time and time again to get her to meet with them willingly, to befriend them, but each time she had refused openly.

She had once visited with him regularly as a child, but his constant meetings with various Gargoyles had brought an end to her visits. She no longer had anything much to do with him and rarely saw him, even around the Castle. The only time when she had anything to do with the old Monk was during chapel on Sundays, and even then they rarely spoke.

One thing was certain, though, and that was his involvement with this secret betrothal had cost him any respect she had retained for him, owing to his position. The fact that he was performing the ceremony himself, not merely turning a blind eye, made his betrayal of his position and his God all the worse.

"I cannot," she announced finally, her voice choking as she did so. "Even with all of Wyvern, or even all of Scotland behind me, I could never live down the memory that I had betrayed my father, and worse yet the law of my own Kingdom."

"But, Princess…" he begged.

"No one is above the law," she recited the words her father had engraved into her from birth, "especially those with Royal blood. For each law must apply to those both high and low, rich or poor, or else they are not laws at all. If I betray the oath I have taken, to watch over my father's Kingdom and uphold the law of Wyvern, then I am no better than those I am sworn to protect my Kingdom from."

"But those laws said nothing about you being forced to marry a monster!"

She released a single tear from her eye, blinking the rest back. "My father chose for me…a _husband_ to marry. I may not agree with his decision, but it was his right to choose and I must live with it. He even sealed his wishes with the Seal of Wyvern, which makes it law. No matter what my feelings are, I must obey."

"No, I cannot accept this!" he said furiously. "There's got to be a way out of this!"

"If you have a plan, I would very much like to hear it, my friend," she said, stepping out from behind the veil, as the fitters finished their final touch.

The Magus paused in his outrage, breathing in as he viewed the wondrous sight in front of him.

"Princess," he exhaled. "By all the stars in the sky, you look…enchanting."

Katherine smiled a little. "A good choice of words for a sorcerer," she said. She twirled around, showing off the gown that had once been her mothers.

"Your mother would be very proud to see you dressed as such," the Magus assured her.

Her expression fell then. "Somehow I do not think she would be proud if she knew what it was being used for." She walked over to the small mirror at the dressing table, eyeing herself. All vanity aside, she was the living incarnation of the perfect bride. The fitters had done well with their sewing.

And yet…there was nothing more she desired now than to tear all the fabric from her body and burn it all in the fireplace.

She stared around the room that had been hers her entire life, knowing that after tonight she would have to get used to sharing it with a monster.

She felt her stomach beginning to turn, as she looked around, imagining what it was going to be like after tonight… She thought about waking up every morning and finding a stone statue at her balcony-doors, from which she had watched the sunrise and set every day. The flowers that always decorated her room would now probably be removed, leaving only the stench of stone and old leather that always seemed to follow Gargoyles wherever they went. And at the old oak chair where her old nursemaid had once sat, she now pictured a lavender Gargoyle sitting in it, assuming it could even take his weight.

The last thought about her nursemaid gave her pause… 'Could it be possible?' she thought in fear. 'No, surely not… But what if… Could there ever be a chance that the beast and I…could possibly…_conceive_?'

There had never been a case of a Human and Gargoyle bearing a child together, that was true, but then again there had never been a case of such a couple ever occurring before either, so who was to say it wasn't possible?

Frightening visions played through her mind, as she saw pictures of herself lying in her bed, great with child, screaming as she gave birth, only for it to turn out to be…a small infant version of Goliath, squirming and snarling in a horrified midwife's arms.

"Magus," she pleaded. "We have to find a way out of this for me, we must!"

He took her in his arms. "We will, I promise," he swore. "We will find a way to release you from your forced matrimony bonds. This I swear to thee!"

Just then, a knock sounded on the door.

"Your Highness?" the Captain's voice sounded through. "It's time."

0000000000

**The Great Hall:**

The Great Hall was the scene of what was probably the strangest event that anyone could remember. There were only a few humans in the Hall, as most, excepting those who had to be present because of their duties, preferred to excuse themselves. Most considered what was about to take place a sinful act.

There were even fewer Gargoyles, as those who wanted to attend preferred to watch from the windows. Many of the clan had remained behind, preferring to stick with their duties. A good many privately felt, as the Humans did, that the union was unnatural.

A few of the elders and those of Goliath's hatching had come, of course, as it was expected of them since Goliath was their leader and rookery brother. There were also a few Gargoyles of the younger generation like the Trio who were watching silently, keenly interested.

The Trio had been just on their way to spend the evening in the courtyard, playing with one of the watchdogs, but when they heard the news about Goliath and Katherine, they had absolutely insisted on coming.

The centre of interest, of course, was the soon to be married couple. Goliath, at Brother Edmund's left, stood visibly uncomfortable in the clothes that had been practically forced upon him by the castle's tailors, with his Mentor and Second by his side. And the Princess Katherine stood to the Monk's right, with the Magus near her, wearing the pink and purple gown that her mother had worn years before.

"...means a marriage is not just a promise to spend the rest of their lives together, but a joining of two hearts," Edmund explained. "We can so proudly..."

'Can't he just stop?' Katherine thought with dismay and anger, as the whole ceremony with all its words of holy matrimony, sanctity and love was such a farce.

The Monk had skipped the part with the exchange of rings, as there was no ring big enough to fit on Goliath's talon. The Captain and Brother Edmund had been a little concerned about that, as usually the exchange of tokens was vital for the seal of marriage. However, Goliath had assured them both that he would take care of it later, so they had been satisfied with just the exchange of vows.

"Do you, Goliath, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to honour her and protect her for as long as you both shall live?" Edmund finally asked.

"I do," the large Gargoyle confirmed, his face a total blank.

"And do you, Katherine, take this _warrior_ to be your lawful wedded husband, to honour him and serve him for as long as you both shall live?" the Monk asked the Princess.

Two seconds passed in which she looked into the face of her soon-to-be husband for the first time during the ceremony.

"_I do_," she spat out into the face of what was now her husband with a glare of unconcealed hatred.

"Then by the power invested within me, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife," Edmund announced, his light tone concealing any knowledge of the Princess's hard one. "You may kiss the bride."

The whole hall seemed to hold its breath, and even the newly-weds looked at each other for a moment in slight surprise…though Katherine's look was more of disgust.

'Father, how could you?' she asked silently, leaning a little forward and sharpening her lips, her eyes and fists clenched tightly.

Goliath on the other hand (or in his case the other _claw_) hesitated for a couple of seconds longer, looking a little bit bewildered.

In all their planning and preparation for this night, he and the others had forgotten one little thing…

Gargoyles did not kiss.

It had never been a custom amongst his kind. The idea of two people pressing their lips against one another was as alien to a Gargoyle as gliding was to a Human. Their idea of showing affection for a loved one was simply by stroking the back of the other's head, since not every Gargoyle even had lips (some had beaks). None of them had ever tried doing it _The Human Way_.

Goliath wasn't completely blind to the art of kissing, though, as he had seen it done many times by Humans before. He had just never tried it himself.

'I suppose now is as good a time as any to try,' the leader of the Gargoyle clan thought, and frowned for a moment, as he tried to remember what the Humans he had seen kiss had done.

First, he wet his lips with his tongue and puckered them, but since he had no experience at this, he had trouble trying to get his lips in the right position. The way they looked at that moment, his face resembled that of a Blowfish, as he moved his head forward, touching his lips to Katherine's.

"Mmmm," he murmured, mimicking what human males did when they kissed, as his own lips pressed against those of his new bride. He gently touched her shoulders, taking care not to rip her dress with his sharp talons, while he instinctually unfolded his wings, wrapping them all around her, as Gargoyles always did when they were close to their mates.

Brother Edmund raised his eyebrows at the display, blinking in surprise, as it almost looked like Goliath was trying to give him and his new bride some privacy.

Once Goliath got into it, he found kissing to not being half bad, and was actually quite pleasurable. It was certainly a lot more intimate than merely brushing another's head. He only wished he could have tried it with his former Angel, years ago.

"Mmmm!" Katherine's muffled voice exclaimed, but Goliath just thought that was natural. He had seen all of the Human females murmur and give low moans whenever they kissed their mates. It seemed to be a habit of theirs, and he just assumed Katherine was doing the same.

He was wrong.

Obviously, he should have tried kissing _before_ trying it at his wedding. His lips had fully enveloped Katherine's like a suction cup, almost to the point where to her they felt like they were stuck, as they made loud suction noises like a plunger while he kissed her.

"Ughhh!" the Princess exclaimed, as she finally dislodged herself from Goliath and hurriedly stepped back. She didn't get very far, though, as his wings were still around them both, so all she did was take half a step backwards before bouncing into the clan leader's leathery wings. When Katherine realised that, she thrashed about, the look in her eyes demanding him to release her.

The crowd in the Hall all looked on with wide eyes and cocked eye-ridges, as Goliath stood before them with his new wife enveloped in his wings. Judging from all the jumping and bouncing that appeared to be going on behind the new Prince's winged cloak, it seemed the newly married couple were getting to know each other _very_ well.

Less than a second later, Goliath sprang his wings apart, releasing Katherine and staring at her in surprise, wondering what was wrong. It didn't take long for him to figure out what, though, as he watched her clean her lips with her hand like mad, coughing and spitting.

'Oops,' he thought.

As his Princess and wife glared at him, Goliath wondered if maybe telling her that his kind had never tried kissing before would help...though from the look of her, probably not.

Neither of them noticed the rest of the crowd staring at them with mixed reactions. Most of the humans looked outraged, some looking even a little sick at the couple's romantic display. Some of the Gargoyles looked on in disapproval, others in plain surprise, and some in amusement. The last were mostly from the trio's generation.

A small cheer then came from the young Gargoyles at the windows, their claws clapping to honour the newly mated couple, whereas the Humans all remained as silent as death, keeping their distance from the two.

0000000000

**One Hour Later:**

Goliath sat at the head of the table, as was his right now that he was married to Royalty, with his blushing bride by his side…or his red-faced bride anyway. Whether it was by embarrassment or by anger that she was red in the face was anyone's guess.

His Mentor and Clan-Second sat by his right, while the Magus sat by the Princess's left. The rest of the crowd all sat at their designated places, their faces as stony as a Gargoyle during the day.

Some of the clan had finally come down from their perches on the windows, feeling it was necessary for them to offer their congratulations, or at least their respect, to the new couple. Judging from the look on the Princess's face, this was unacceptable to her, but seeing as Goliath was now her lord and husband, and these were her lord's clan, she had no choice but to sit still and accept it.

A few of the clan gave them a friendly smile; the Trio included, but most kept their faces blank, bowing their heads in respect. Goliath bowed his own head in acknowledgement, thanking them, while Katherine just kept perfectly still, her face looking as though it would crack.

The celebratory feast had followed the ceremony, as per tradition, though the rest of the evening had continued in silence. Most of the Humans were not really hungry, as they had already eaten their evening meal, but managed a few small bites now and then.

A lot of the clan had returned to their duties, not wanting to stay and suffer the Humans' scrutinising looks. Not even the Trio had stayed, though the red beaked one and the small green one had practically had to drag their large aquamarine-skinned brother out by the ears, as he had wanted to stay for the feast, his mouth almost drooling at the sight.

The tension in the Hall and the attitude of most in attendance made the place feel more like a funeral than it did a wedding.

Finally, not being able to stand the silence or scrutiny any longer, Goliath stood up as he faced the crowd.

"My many thanks for your being here, my friends," he announced, addressing them politely. "Forgive my abrupt departure, but my wife and I must take our leave of you." He then held his arm out to Katherine, waiting for her to take it.

She froze in terror. As tradition dictated, she was to go with him to her room or what was now their wedding chamber and…_consummate_ their marriage.

She turned to the Magus, as if for protection, though there was absolutely nothing he could now do for her. The wedding ceremony was complete; they had exchanged vows in front of all who had witnessed, so not even the Holy Bible could help her now. He knew this as well, as he stared at her in utter helplessness.

Swallowing her pride and trying to ignore the looks of disgust that were no doubt being thrown her way by the crowd, she forced herself up and hooked her arm with that of her new husband.

They made their way down the Hall, passing by all in their seats. The Captain even held up his goblet to Goliath, as though wishing him luck.

Leaving the Great Hall to anyone who wanted to celebrate the wedding, few as that might be, the newly wedded couple walked the halls of Wyvern...or rather it was Katherine who went on ahead.

The second they were out of sight from everyone in the Hall, she had unhooked her arm from his and walked on ahead while Goliath followed her from at a distance, wanting to allow her her freedom.

Reaching their new common quarters, they silently passed the two guards who stood watch at the entrance.

"Did you see the look on her face?" the first guard asked, as the Gargoyle closed the door behind him, sounding amused.

"Bet she is wondering if everything on him is as _large_," the second guard replied, grinning smoothly.

"I'd be more worried about whether he is as heavy as he looks," the first guffawed. "If he is, then I hope the Court Physician is ready at hand. Cos she's gonna need him after her husband mounts her."

The two of them laughed.

On the other side of the door, the Princess had walked straight to her commode, looking at herself in the small mirror fixed to it, and thereby accidentally looking at her husband standing two metres behind her.

He was practically ripping his clothes off, struggling to get out of them.

'Can't he wait at least one minute?' she asked herself in shock, knowing that as her husband it was his right to take her, especially on this their wedding night.

She had by then stopped looking at Goliath in the mirror, but she could still hear him as he wriggled out of what was undoubtedly the last of his clothes. She heard the sound of his garments as they hit the floor, followed by the sound of talon feet crossing the floor over to her.

Katherine found her hand trembling in fear. Since she had never had anything to do with the Gargoyles, she didn't know anything about their mating habits or such. Her only source of knowledge about them was the rumours she had heard from her subjects.

One of her maids had once told her a tale about how one Gargoyle, that had no mate, went mad with desire, attacking everything in sight until he found a young maiden… By the time they had found her, she had been 'done' to death, her body nothing but mangled flesh.

This story was, of course, completely untrue, but Katherine did not know that.

Trembling even more, and having to prop herself on the chest of drawers so as not to fall, the Princess tried hard not to lose her self-control while asking herself once again how her father could have done this to her.

She heard Goliath's footsteps finally approach her, and she tried to bravely brace herself, expecting his claws to immediately start ripping her clothing off.

"I am not used to wearing so much attire," he suddenly spoke up from behind her. "Forgive me, but only the aged wear that much clothing," he explained. "They are more sensitive to the cold than the rest of us, you see. And wearing all that cloth was really quite dehydrating for me."

She looked around, and saw to her relief that he was still dressed, now once more in his simple loincloth. Breathing out a huge sigh of relief, she realised that the Gargoyle apparently had no intention to take his right...at least not this night.

"Never," she hissed.

"What?" Goliath asked, puzzled.

The Princess stared right into his eyes.

"I said you will never enter _my_ bed!" she exclaimed.

He shrugged his shoulders, not getting the point.

"My kind doesn't use beds," he explained.

"And you will wear clothes in my presence," she continued, taking a step closer to her husband. "It is _unthinkable _and shaming for the whole Kingdom if a Prin… If the _ruling_ _person_ is seen without proper clothing."

He stared for a moment at the woman, and then he nodded, if unhappily.

"If it is necessary for the well being of the castle..." he began in a neutral tone.

"It is," she noted angrily.

After a moment of silence, in which the Princess never let the Gargoyle out of her sight, Goliath reached for the bag fixed on his belt, pulling out two parts of a talisman, which together displayed a golden bird on a blue background.

"What is this?" Katherine asked, surprised and suspicious.

"I don't know what it is called," Goliath replied calmly as he looked at it, for a moment lost in thoughts. He remembered the night when his former love had given it to him, and then threw it back at him the night when he had told her that he was to break up with her, telling him she would no longer need it.

Despite how things had turned out, they had spent many happy years together and this talisman had always been part of that happiness.

"I know that it is common for Humans to exchange tokens to symbolise their…_union_," he explained. "We may not have rings, but maybe this can be a symbol of ours."

The Princess stared on the one half her husband held out to her.

"It looks dirty," she snorted.

Goliath worked hard to suppress a growl.

Katherine took a step back in fear, her eyes hooked on him.

He quickly bowed his head in an apology. "I apologise, my… " He paused, wondering what to call her. He could no longer simply call her 'Princess', as she was now his mate, but he didn't think she would appreciate being called by a Gargoyle title, and he certainly couldn't call her his love. That honour was reserved for someone else, someone now beyond his reach.

"My wife," he finished, deciding that that name was better as it was a Human title.

Unfortunately, that title didn't seem to fit well with her either, as she breathed in sharply, glaring daggers at him.

"I need to sleep!" she declared finally, turning to go behind the veil to change. "If you must stay then please be quiet!" She didn't bother to wait for his reply, hurrying behind the veil with her bedclothes.

Goliath sighed, deciding that this mateship was definitely going to be something that they were both going to have to work very hard at indeed.

**To Be Continued… **


	3. Chapter 3

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles and Gargoyles comics are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
>No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.<br>All original characters are the property of Storyseeker and Hardwing.**_

_**Here it is, the newly revamped saga! With fresh new/extended and altered scenes! **_

_**Once again, this story was co-written with the great author Hardwing! Many thanks!**_

_**This fic saga is set in an alternate universe, in Wyvern's past, with characters from the Gargoyles comics, the Dark Ages Saga in TGS and some of Hardwing's own characters. It starts off right after the events shown in the show's episode 'Long Way To Morning' in 984 A.D. where the events in that chapter lead to a different conclusion for the clan. It is also set in the same timeline as the show in that era, with two small differences… and that's Goliath didn't get his name until 984 A.D. and the eggs hatched soon in 995 A.D.**_

_**Oh, and in case some people get offended at some of the sexist remarks in this saga… Please remember that it is set in the medieval ages (things were different back then). **_

_**Many thanks to Kimberly Towle for her suggestions, and to the author Aesop for all his proofreading!**_

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**2 Days Later; Castle Wyvern,**

**Royal Chambers:**

Things didn't improve over time as much as Goliath would hope. Katherine's disdain for him and his clan seemed to grow with every passing night.

"I will be making a journey around the edge of the forest, to view the damage the Vikings have done there," Katherine declared, fixing her dress. "The captain insisted I wait until nightfall."

"He was wise to wait for the protection of my clan," he replied. "I will come with you, and have my best warriors by your side to protect you."

"I would rather not!" his wife replied sharply. "I will take the Magus, the Captain and his men with me. They are more than enough."

"They are capable, but..." the large Gargoyle began.

"They have earned commendations for their bravery in the last battle!" she added haughtily. "Had all fought with so much valour, maybe there would have been fewer casualties."

"My clan defends this castle with its very blood!" he said angrily, rising to his full height, making the Princess take a moment to catch her breath.

Goliath swore inwardly at his outburst, forcing himself to back down and keep calm. He knew that such outbursts would do nothing to help Katherine overcome her fear of him. If only she weren't so damn arrogant!

"If they were good at it then they would have never let the Vikings land in the first place," she replied arrogantly.

He frowned, but neglected to mention the fact that those so-called _men_ of hers were the ones who hadn't stopped the Vikings from coming into the castle, and that they had barely managed to keep them at bay during the close quarters of the battle. In fact, the only thing those soldiers had done was when they had shot a rain of arrows at the Vikings _after_ his clan had driven them out.

There was a knock at the door, and after Katherine gave her permission, a young maiden came through the door.

"My lady, your escort is ready," the young woman, whose brown hair was hidden by a white scarf, informed her cautiously.

"Thank you, Mysie," she replied, and then added rather snidely. "If you will excuse me…_someone_ has to rule this castle."

With that, she turned and left, leaving her irritated husband, who was resisting the urge to break something, and the maid behind.

The young girl seemed prepared to leave, but the years of being brought up as a servant in the castle had taught her not to leave unless her lords gave her permission to. She watched the Gargoyle prince nervously until finally she spoke.

"Forgive my inquisitiveness, My Lord, but you seem…burdened?"

Goliath looked at the human, for a moment startled, as she was the first to address him as such. It was a new experience for him to be referred to as the lord of the castle.

"I know she doesn't want me around her," he admitted. "I just wish I could do something to change that."

The maiden seemed to think for a moment, and then she lowered her head, blushing as though embarrassed.

"What is it?" he asked, feeling a bit embarrassed himself by being shown so much respect. "Tell me, please."

"My Lord, I don't want to offend you, but..." the maiden stopped. "Well…there is…the smell."

"**Smell?**"

Again the maiden sank her head in fear and awaited punishment, making Goliath reprimand himself again for his outburst.

"I apologise. Please go on, I beg you."

The maiden frowned for a second. "It is like old leather and…stone," she explained hesitantly, just to add quickly, "but in a good way!"

Goliath looked surprised at the maiden who lowered her head again, mistaking his look for anger and deep down feared being eaten.

"What is it about this smell that would be offending?" he asked curiously, genuinely confused. He and his kind had never paid much attention to odours and fragrances, except for when they were hunting, and their sense of smell was far more acute than the humans.

She shrugged nervously. "Well…I can't imagine, but…"

"Yes?"

"I believe her Highness is just not used to it," she said finally.

Goliath stared at her for a few moments, frowning. He didn't think something as meaningless as a scent would change much of anything, but if it helped even the smallest of things then perhaps it was worth considering.

"Thank you for telling me," the lord of Wyvern replied. "I think it is time to take another bath." He was about to leave and make his way to the clan's bathing quarters, where all the clan bathed together.

"But..." it slipped the maiden's lips, just as he was about to go past her, making him stop and look at her in wonder.

"I dare not to criticise my lord," she said, taking heart. "But…taking shared baths with the common folk seems inappropriate for a prince."

"Inappropriate?" he said, looking in amazement at her. 'What was inappropriate about people sharing water to get clean?' he thought.

"Yes, it's not considered proper for a Lord and Prince to share his bathing quarters with others. Royalty always bathes in private."

Goliath gave her an odd look. It had never struck him that the humans could see it this way, as it had always seemed strange to him that the human leaders seemed so eager to cut themselves off from their comrades. Taking showers with his siblings had been natural since he had hatched, and hadn't changed when he had become second of the clan or even when he had succeeded the leader, but now...

"What is appropriate then?" he asked, trying to sound especially polite.

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**One Hour Later: **

Katherine moaned, as she dismounted from her horse. The journey to and from the outskirts of her kingdom had been both mentally and physically exhausting for her, considering how unused to it she was. She was sore all over.

But as painful as the journey had been, the sight of the destruction wrought by the Vikings on the distant outskirts of the kingdom had been even harder. Just the sight of it had depressed her, knowing she could do so little to help her people. Worse, she was now more powerless than ever, thanks to her beast of a husband who believed himself to be ruler of her castle because of some plot of...

She shook these thoughts out of her head, as she made her way inside and back to her room.

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Goliath lifted the pail over his head, pouring the water down over his body, emitting a slight purr as the warm water rinsed the soap off his skin. The maid had been gracious enough to send for the royal bathtub for him.

The tub was nothing more than carved wood, which royalty would bathe within, inside the confines of their own room. He still found this custom a bit bewildering, but then again all human customs tended to confuse him at times. The tub was the largest one they had, but even that was not nearly big enough for the clan leader.

Due to his massive size, the tub appeared to be no more than an oversized chamber pot. But he could at least stand in it, so he told the servants that it was adequate for his needs. He had simply remained standing while pouring the buckets of water over himself until he was clean. The only real problem he had had was when the maid and a few others had offered to stay behind and help him with his bathing. He had politely but firmly declined.

'I wonder if human royals do _anything_ by themselves?' he wondered.

He resisted the urge to shake himself, not wanting to throw water all over the room, as he seriously doubted the princess would appreciate having most of her personal belongings soaked.

He sniffed his arm, trying to determine if the smell that the maid, Mysie, had told him about was gone. He could detect nothing, even with his sensitive nostrils, but then again he hadn't been able to before.

It had to be his species' own unique scent, he deduced, as it couldn't be anything else. The hint of stone was a sure sign of that, because of their stone sleep, though he didn't have the faintest idea where the scent of old leather came from.

He stretched out his arms, flicking the small bit of water left on his tail, and was about to reach for the nearest towel to begin drying himself when…

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Katherine walked to the door leading into her private chambers…or rather _their_ private chambers.

She swore deep within her mind, as the very thought that she had to share everything with that monster, including her own room, was enough to drive her mad.

Driving these thoughts out of her mind, and eager for the feel of a soft bed instead of a hard saddle, she lifted the lock on the door and entered her room, and stopped.

There, in the middle of the room, Goliath stood in what had once been _her_ bathtub, turning around to the sound of the door being opened. Her first response was to shout at him for having the audacity to again take what was hers, until she realised too late that her husband had been bathing and was therefore completely naked.

Goliath stared at her in surprise, not even realising yet that he should cover himself up, as he stood before her, his body wonderfully illuminated by the many candles around the room.

"AHHH!" the Princess screamed in shock, turning and fleeing from the room, leaving a confused Gargoyle in her wake.

'What did I do?' he thought, staring in bewilderment at the door left open in her hasty departure.

Katherine, meanwhile, raced through the castle until she found herself outside on the battlements, the air in her coming out in shallow breaths.

"Dear sweet Mary, mother of God," she said lowly, Goliath's image forever etched into her memory. The size of him…_all_ of him! Of course, she had guessed that due to his large stature, certain parts of him would be somewhat bigger than that of a human, but… He was a giant!

She shuddered.

She suddenly thought of the Magus. If anyone could help her forget what she had just seen, it was he. 'Maybe he has a spell to banish the memory from my mind?' she thought, and quickly started making her way to the Magus' tower.

She was halfway there when, suddenly, a shadow appeared in front of her.

"Wha…?" she stuttered in surprise, but relaxed slightly when the shadow revealed itself to be one of the beasts. She had never seen this one before, but then again she had rarely paid any attention to any of Goliath's clan when she could help it.

This Gargoyle was a brown-skinned one with dark hair, a sort of small crest sporting several horns behind his brow ridges, and two large spikes that came off his chin. But the one thing that she noticed most about him was the sly look upon his face. He seemed to give off an aura of deceit and deviousness that she could practically smell.

"My, where is a human like you going at such a late hour?" he asked in a mockingly worried tone. "Don't tell me the simple sight of my brother bathing has scared you so?"

"I'm not scared, beast!" Katherine hissed, pulling herself together and glaring at the Gargoyle. She was so infuriated at his tone that she hadn't thought to ask just _how_ he had known about that, considering it had only just happened. "I..."

"That's good to hear, Princess," the slim Gargoyle replied quickly. "For you know we Gargoyles tend to bathe together regularly, correct? And as his mate he will no doubt soon ask you to do so, too."

The Princess looked at him in total shock, the blood draining from her face.

"I must say," he said, grinning. "It will be a treat to spend some time with you, Your Highness. For I have long held some fascination with your race and its customs. Mayhap we can discuss some of them during our time in the baths?"

'_Our_ time,' she thought, feeling like hyperventilating.

"Until then, _sister_." The Gargoyle that Brother Edmund had called Iago in secret dismissed himself, walking away with a sly grin.

'Did Goliath expose himself to me because he wanted to prepare me to...to…' She couldn't bring herself to finish the thought, and continued to hurry to the safety of the Magus's room.

Meanwhile, Iago had not gone very far, choosing to hide behind one of the tower's walls, watching as Katherine fled up the stairs to the Magus's tower. His grin widened, as he saw her terrified face as she ran up the steps.

'A good start,' he thought, still smiling as he turned to report back to his sentry duties for the night.

Fooling the Princess turned out to be even easier than he thought it would be. Despite having lived in the same castle as his clan for all her life, she clearly hadn't a clue about Gargoyle customs and traditions. The tale he had told about the baths was but a mere stretch of the truth. He didn't believe for one minute that Goliath would force her to bathe with the rest of the clan, and even if he did, males and females always bathed separately.

It didn't matter, though, for the tale had done its job perfectly. Katherine was already suspicious and hateful enough of his kind, so she was prepared to believe any web of lies or half-truths he could spin.

He doubted she would go to Goliath to confront him with what he had just told her, considering how little the two actually talked to each other, but even if she did, he could easily cover up his tracks. He would simply say she had misunderstood him, claiming that he had meant that they would merely _meet_ at the baths before going into their prospective and separate bathing quarters.

With the false story of her being forced to bathe with the rest of the clan, he could tell by the look on her face, that he had succeeded in destroying any trust she might have had in Goliath. He had planted the seed of fear and doubt within her, which would ensure she would forever keep her distance from his so-called leader. A distance he intended to maintain and make good use of.

Iago snarled lowly at the thought of Goliath. Ever since he had banished him a year ago, he had longed for the chance to get even with him, and increasing the distance and the tension between him and his so-called mate seemed the ideal way to accomplish it.

It was no secret that Katherine had no love for them and their clan, and this whole mateship with her was just a farce of some kind to get her to overcome her prejudice toward them. As far as devious plans went, it was a good one. Iago had to commend whoever had thought it up.

It seemed that Goliath had sacrificed a lot for this marriage, including the love of that of his former Angel, his azure sister with the flaming red hair. He remembered his large brother often referring to her as his Angel of the Night, and saying she was everything to him. So it must have hurt him dreadfully when he had to give her up for his marriage to the Princess.

'All so we could have some hope of breaking the barrier between our race and the humans,' Iago thought snidely. "So what better way to pay him back than by ensuring that his hopeful dream never comes true!'

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**2 Days Later; Battlements:**

Sunset had come and gone, leaving Othello standing with a group of his clan-members, the last seven who had yet to receive their orders for the night. They consisted of Iago, Thersities and several others of their rookery.

"You three will stand watch at the east battlements," Othello instructed the warriors, "and you four will take the west."

"So where is our brave and devoted leader, then?" Iago then asked, looking bored. "Or has he decided to skip a night to spend time with his _beloved_ mate?"

Othello growled warningly at him. "What our leader decides to do with his own time is his own affair, _brother_," he hissed. If ever there was a time when he could wish to forget that this honourless blackguard was of his clan and rookery, then tonight was that night.

In truth, he was wondering where Goliath was. Iago had deliberately been making a jest out of Goliath's farce of a marriage, as she and he rarely remained in the same part of the castle, let alone spent time together.

Since his mating to Princess Katherine, Goliath had taken to sleeping on the balcony outside of what was now both his and the Princess's bedroom. But despite being newly mated, Goliath was never late for his duties as clan-leader, as Katherine was always all too eager for him to depart and leave her be.

"I never _skip_ out of serving my clan, brother," a voice suddenly sounded behind them.

The eight of them turned to see their brother and leader emerge from the shadows of one of the staircases.

"Ohhh," Thersities smirked. "Check out his Royal fanciness!"

Most of them sniggered a little between themselves, as Goliath came toward them.

His face turned a darker shade of lavender, as he stood in the vast amount of clothing his _wife_ had demanded that he wear. Tonight he was wearing a long tunic of dark brown with a gold trim, along with some long sleeves, and some trousers that had been cut to his stature. The material looked thick, and anyone could see the sweat glistening on Goliath's forehead.

"Don't you have guard-duty to do?" Othello snapped, his eyes flaring at them.

Thersities made a quick getaway, the others following his example, including Iago, after he gave the leader his usual snide look.

"Oh, and brother!" Othello called out to Thersities as he took flight. "Next time, try finding a better hiding place than the apple-barrel! It may have worked when you were a hatchling, but you've long since outgrown it now!"

Thersities swore lowly, gliding quickly to his designated post.

Othello turned back to look at his leader.

"My many thanks for seeing to everyone's instructions tonight, brother," Goliath told him, shifting uncomfortably in his new attire.

Othello quirked an eyeridge at him. "Forgive me, Goliath," he asked. "But why exactly are you wearing that thing? I mean I understood why you did it the night of your mat… your _wedding_. But that was four nights ago now. Why do you persist in still wearing Human garments? You know you do not need them, and I can see how uncomfortable it is for you to don them so."

Goliath sighed. "I am not doing this by choice, friend," he replied. "My _wife_ insists that I wear such things when I am in her presence. And it takes too much time to keep removing and putting them back on again, so it makes more sense to just keep wearing them. I dare not anger her so."

The constant wearing of too much clothes was but one of many mental tortures he had had to suffer under the fist of his new bride. Katherine had demanded not only that he wear clothing whenever in her presence, but also to speak only when spoken to, sleep out on the balcony and never within _her_ room, and basically to keep himself out of her sight whenever possible.

Growing up, Goliath had often heard the soldiers of Castle Wyvern tell jokes to each other, mostly about how marriage was more like a trap for young fools who would then get ruled by their wives, making their lives a living misery. He had thought them nothing more than simple jests, but after a few days of marriage to Katherine…he was now entitled to believe otherwise.

Othello snorted in disgust. "If you say so, though personally I think you're letting her walk all over you. After all, who is she to say what you have to do and what you have to wear?"

Inwardly, the second sighed. When he had learned of his brother's plan it had sounded strange, but at least there seemed to be the chance of improvements in the way the Humans treated them, and now...just thinking about all the ridiculous clothes he had to wear, maybe even on the hunts, made him feel ill.

"She is the Princess and my mate," Goliath noted, his tone growing more strained.

"She is your wife, not mate," Othello replied. "Would you let your mate do this to you? Like the Mentor said, Human females have to obey their men's word once they are married. And you are the ruler of Wyvern now!"

"On paper! Can't you see that by pressing on it I might lead to a confrontation between us and them that we can't win?" he countered in irritation, just to add something a bit more calmly. "Just wait, please. We are barely past the first week of our joining, brother. We have to give her time to come to terms with our new…_arrangement_. You cannot expect miracles within the first week, surely?"

Othello frowned.

"Maybe not," he agreed. "But when you went through with the wedding, you convinced us that in the long run our lives would improve greatly. It's been four nights now since your union and we have yet to see any changes. The Human still turn their noses up at us and cower in fear whenever we approach..."

"I know," Goliath said, his voice just hinting frustration, "but we must be patient."

"Maybe we can't," Othello said honestly.

"What do you mean?"

He growled lowly.

"Our sly brother and even some of the elders have been speaking behind your back. They were against the marriage from the start. The elders were so because they didn't approve of such a union, but also because you and our Mentor kept it secret from the whole clan for so long. They were really angered about that most of all, despite your explanation. They are seriously reconsidering your role as leader."

He then snorted. "Though I doubt our brother truly believes so. I'm convinced he only encourages the elders' beliefs just to gain you trouble."

"He has never forgiven me for banishing him." Goliath shook his head.

"That was his own fault for setting us upon one another, by convincing me that you and my beloved were being unfaithful," Othello snarled. "In my opinion, he got off too lightly. You should have banished him for good."

"Do you believe the elders will go through with their intent?" Goliath then asked in a hard tone, changing the subject and wanting to know the seriousness of the matter.

He sighed. "I really don't know," he replied honestly. "They are quite inflamed about all of this, Goliath. On the one claw, they understand your reasons, and if everything you say comes to be, then everything should be fine…but only _if_ things start to change. As I said, although it's merely been a few nights, there has been no sign of change on the Humans' part towards us. If this remains so, I do believe the elders will take action. They are tired of merely taking your word that things are _going_ to change."

Goliath frowned, rubbing his forehead as though in pain. "A calamity," he deduced.

"That's one way of putting it, yes," Othello concurred. "For now, all that is happening in the clan is talking. But in time, that may change."

Goliath looked over the courtyard where his clan and the Humans were going about their business, separated and eager not to cross the other's paths.

"We should go and join the others for guard-duty," he said finally, making clear that the discussion was over…for the present.

Othello nodded and soon followed after him, neither of them noticing the shadow in the nearby stone-staircase.

The Captain watched the two winged forms glide through the air, heading towards one of the other battlements, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

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**Two Nights Later: **

"I do not require your assistance!" Katherine yelled, as she hurried out her room with Goliath close behind her.

"This is to be a discussion concerning the castle's inhabitants," Goliath insisted, easily keeping up with her, barely taking a few steps because of his long legs. "As your husband and ruling partner, I do feel I should be present…"

"You stick to your own little part of this Kingdom, _Gargoyle_!" she snapped. "You have your clan, so see to them instead. I will deal with all other matters concerning the castle, especially those that concern _my_ kind."

He sighed, while inwardly holding back a growl. "As you wish," he said.

She gave a "huff" and hurried away down the corridor.

Goliath had awoken a few minutes before and already he was faced with a fresh new heated discussion with his _beloved_ wife.

Katherine found one part of being married to Goliath worst of all, and that was her having to inform him every time she had to go see to her Royal duties. As her lord, husband and ruling partner, it was his right to be involved and take part in the ruling of this Kingdom. Something that Katherine took no joy in. Although he never took part, mainly because of her insistently and consistently telling him that his presence would not be required, she still had to inform him whenever such an event was to take place.

As if they would ever desire a Gargoyle at any of their proceedings!

Since the Vikings had all but gone now, since their defeat at Wyvern almost a week ago, the refugees who had lost their homes to the savages had finally started their journey back to their homelands, save for a few who had decided to remain at Wyvern.

They had been welcomed to stay, but unfortunately some of the castle's other inhabitants were not so inviting. Because there were only so many jobs in this one castle, some of the now former refugees had to share their workload with the castle's original workers, and not all were happy about it.

She had waited until the last few rays of daylight had faded over the horizon, and the multiple cracks started appearing all over her husband's stone skin. And each time when she saw him, her hatred seemed to grow more intense.

Goliath always knelt on the stone floor of her balcony outside her bedroom window, for Katherine refused to have him within her room. She could have claimed that he would have scattered all of his stone-skin everywhere when he awoke, but in all truthfulness she just didn't want him anywhere near her, even in sleep... Though, admittedly, Goliath had never pressed her on this, as he felt better by resting outside.

No matter how many times she had seen it, Katherine was both amazed and frightened by the ferocious manner in which he awoke from his day's rest. The fury he displayed, and the way he always seemed fully rejuvenated each evening…she had to admit it was astounding, if nerve-racking.

She had waited less than a second before she quickly told him about the small problem with the peasants, followed by…

"And put this on!" She handed him yet another outfit designed by the Royal tailors, and then hurried out after informing him, yet again, that his presence would _not_ be required.

Goliath had, of course, offered to come, but again, as usual, his offer was declined.

As for the clothes… When he awoke in the evening, any of the clothes he wore save for his own loincloth was destroyed when he burst out of his stone-sleep. The reason being was that when a Gargoyle went to sleep, any items on them that they considered personally theirs, including their own clothes, turned to stone with them. Since Goliath didn't consider any of the clothes that Katherine and her subjects gave to him his, they didn't change with him.

In the spirit of diplomacy, he had agreed to wear the clothes Katherine insisted on, but he would always change out of them, back into his own loincloth, just before sunrise.

With his wife gone to see to her own duties for the evening, he decided to return to his clan and see to his.

He passed by the two soldiers on guard outside what was supposed to be both his and her room, but what still felt like just hers, and gave them a friendly greeting.

"Good evening," he said, but the guards merely gave him a small nod of their heads, their faces with small but noticeable frowns upon them.

He paid them no heed, and went through the door into their room, changed into his new outfit before going out the balcony doors and making his way up to the battlements to meet with his Second.

He soon found Othello with a group of four young male warriors, recognising them from the Trio's generation. He particularly recognised this group, as they were considered to be some of the wilder youngsters of the clan, and as such were called The Wild Four. They were known for always getting into mischief and being impetuous.

There was a small smoke-black one with a short wide beak, no hair and a lean body. He was by far the most intelligent of the group, but still had a knack for always getting into trouble.

The tallest one among them was a large, crested and light-brown skinned Gargoyle. He was the only one with an impressive body-build of muscle, which made him look older than the rest of their quartet. The rest of them had lean and agile bodies. He also had stray hair with a peculiar shark-like fin on his head, which parted his hair right down the middle.

The other two were a short red-skinned one with a short beak and no hair, and a tall green-skinned warrior with long black hair and extremely long shoulder and knee spikes.

The four of them rarely left each other's sides, and had now discovered their leader together.

"Do they give you a new outfit for each night of the week?" the black one joked, his beak being faster than his brain, as he noticed that this time his leader was wearing a dark blue tunic with a black leather belt, his feet bound with dark material to make it seem as if he was wearing shoes.

"Take heed, young one," Othello warned, noticing the look on his brother's face. "One should watch his tone while addressing his leader."

Goliath growled lowly, but said nothing.

"Have you set the clan's duties for tonight?" he then asked.

Othello nodded, noticing that the young ones were keeping silent, having noticed the hard glare they got from their leader...not that he blamed them.

"Aye," he replied, but looked quizzically at his leader. "Though I thought you would not be available tonight. I had heard there were some trouble and that the Royals would be needed?"

"My…presence was not needed." Goliath sighed.

"She prevailed over him yet again," the one with the long spikes whispered to his tall brother.

"My future mate will never do that with me," the one with the fin replied quietly, but not quietly enough.

"You have a lot to learn about mates," Othello commented, making him jump slightly.

"This joining is best for all of us," Goliath insisted, growing impatient with the young ones.

"Haven't noticed that yet..." the short red one with the beak commented.

"You're her leader now, too," the smoke black one commented. "Can't you just order her to treat us better?"

Othello kept silent, although there was a big part of him that heartily agreed with what these youngsters were saying.

"This is more complicated..." Goliath explained calmly, looking at the young warriors. "Maybe I** could, **but that would mean that she and all the Humans in the castle were** forced** to do this while retaining their prejudices, and would probably act on them again at the next opportunity... Is this the way to coexist that you desire?"

"I would be happy already if the guards stopped yelling at me every time I come near them," the smoke black one commented, getting angrier by the second. "If it means we have to force them with the whip, we shou..."

"Watch your tongue, laddie!" a loud voice suddenly sounded.

They all turned and saw the Mentor making his way over towards them, the Captain close behind him. The youngsters quickly stood back, bowing their heads in respect.

"Lad, a word if ye please?" the Mentor requested of the clan-leader.

Goliath gave a hard look to the young warriors. "We will speak some other time," he said honestly. "For now…I believe our talkative elder could need some assistance in his training exercises." He was of course referring to the elder who Brother Edmund called Agamemnon, quite possibly the longest talker in the whole clan.

The youngsters all shared a collective groan, but another hard look from their leader made them go grudgingly on their way.

"Second," the Mentor addressed Othello. "I would have you remain."

Othello looked at him in confusion, but nodded, wondering what was going on.

"Lad, the Captain has a few things he wishes to say to ye," the Mentor finally said, indicating the clan's life-long friend.

"What is it?" Goliath asked.

"Lad," the Captain sighed. "I'm afraid this is not a social visit. I'm here to speak with you about the fact that you are not living up to your role as Prince of Wyvern."

Goliath looked aghast at what the captain had just said.

"How can you say that?" he demanded._ "I_ **married** her, I _live_ with her, and risk the unity of my clan!"

"Don't take this the wrong way, lad," his Mentor added. "We know ye have been trying yuir best in this marriage to the Princess, but the fact is, as harsh as this may sound…it's not enough."

Goliath crossed his arms, trying to calm down and hear what the elder Gargoyle had to say.

"Second," the Captain addressed the clan's second-in-command. "While I was walking the steps of the castle two nights ago, I overheard your discussion with Goliath about what some in your clan were saying about his union with Princess Katherine. Tell us, has anything in that discussion changed in the last couple of nights?"

Othello looked a little unsure, as he gazed back and forth between the Captain, his leader and his Mentor, but finally he sighed and shook his head. "Nay," he answered. "Those that started out as mere words have now grown into full blown arguments amongst the clan. Many feel that this mating was a complete waste of time, and some among the elders are discussing more and more that Goliath's position as leader should be challenged."

Goliath stared at him, his eyes wide. Othello had told him all this before, but he really thought that it was just something that would pass in time.

The Mentor sighed. He had heard that the elders were discussing something, but since it had been revealed that he had played a big part in Goliath's betrothal to Katherine and keeping it secret, he was no longer included in any of the clan's discussions.

"Since your marriage," he remarked. "There have been no changes concerning any of our clan. The Humans still look at us with fear and loathing, save for you. We dare not challenge them. And we are still not even allowed in the Great Hall, as the Princess still views us as less than dogs. With all this in mind, it's no wonder that the clan feels so."

"We have been mated less than a week!" Goliath insisted. "Surely you can't… "

"It's not just the delay in any change that causes worry here, Goliath," the Captain interrupted. "It's your unwillingness to play any part in your role as Prince."

Goliath stuck out his chin. "I have offered my support to the Princess in every way on every event that has arisen."

"That's just it!" the Captain said, his voice barely hiding his frustration. "You should not have to offer your support in such matters, because they are your matters to begin with! You are the Prince of Wyvern now, leader of both your clan and mine. When you married Katherine, you inherited all her rights and privileges, and all the responsibilities that come with them."

"We all knew that Katherine would need time to adjust to her role as my mate," he explained. "I am simply giving her time to see that her prejudices are false."

"She won't see that!" the Captain replied. "Lad, I know you are only doing what you think is right, but…this way has failed over the last ten years, which is why you had to make these sacrifices anyway."

Goliath remained silent for a moment.

"Maybe it was the only way possible then, but now you are ruler," the Captain explained. "Now you can and must force her. If you can't work together..."

"If I do..." Goliath began. "If I dare deny her, it will surely start a heated argument, which could lead to trouble for the clan."

"Only if you let it," the Mentor interjected. "Remember, Katherine is now your mate and must follow your orders as the other Humans must. Be her leader, and as far as ruling the Kingdom goes, ye should treat her then as ye would your own Second. This might be the only way not just so you can help your clan, but also so that you can help _her s_ee the truth about us."

"By dominating her?" he asked.

The Captain frowned, at a loss at how to best explain this. He always knew this would be one of the more confusing topics for Goliath. Gargoyles had always viewed their males and females as equals, and the same went double for their mates also, whereas for humans it was presently the males who governed, and the wife bowed to her husband's will.

Fortunately, the Mentor answered for him.

"Hopefully not, lad," he explained. "But if she still refuses to treat you with respect, then yes. Remember, we made this plan to allow both of our clans to coexist in the future, and there won't be a future if you allow her to continue as she is now."

"Aye," the Captain agreed. "What if there is another leader...one who doesn't believe in this alliance as we do? Then there** will** be a confrontation."

Othello, who had remained quiet all this time, kept still and just watched all what was happening, listening to each one's remarks and point of view. He had to admit that he agreed with the Mentor and the Captain, but he also knew how terribly stressing this all was for Goliath.

Goliath meanwhile stood where he was, his mind processing all that his friend and former leader had laid out for him. His friends also stood where they were, awaiting his reply.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally sighed, raised his head and looked them all straight in their eyes.

"If you will excuse me," he said. "My _wife_ is in the middle of some dispute between some of the Castle staff. I believe I should attend."

Both the Captain and Mentor smiled, as Goliath turned and started making his way down to the Great Hall where Katherine was no doubt speaking with the servants in question.

Othello watched him leave, his thoughts a mixture of pride and nervousness. Somehow, he doubted that Katherine was going to like whatever Goliath was going to say to her next.

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**Great Hall:**

As tradition, within cases where she had to judge, Katherine sat on her throne while two men were standing in front of her, explaining their problems.

"See, Your Highness," the representative of the castle's inhabitants, an elder man with light grey hair, said respectfully. "We are the ones who have lived here the longest, ever since your father led us here, and we gladly took in refugees as a gesture of goodwill… But only because we were under the impression that they would all return to their homes once the danger with the Vikings had passed, and all our scouts have told us their boats have now left our shores."

"We have no homes to go back to!" the spokesman of the remaining refugees, a smaller and stouter man with washed but worn out clothes, replied sadly. "Most of our homes were burned down by these raiding pigs, and the seeds have been stolen, as have the cattle... It will take months for us to build up again. Many will starve and die without shelter if you order us to go now."

"How many of us will starve if you stay?" the older man said furiously. "There is not enough work for all of you here, and without the outer farms to supply us... "

"This is serious indeed," the Princess stopped him before the argument could escalate further. "I will think about both arguments and then..."

"No!" a deep voice, coming from behind the two men, interrupted her. "This will be cleared now."

Totally surprised, the Princess looked up to see Goliath entering the Great Hall.

"How dare ye!" she shouted on him. "What are you doing here? And what right have you...?"

"A decision is to be made by the ruler of this castle," the big Gargoyle told his wife in a harsh tone. "Not by you."

There was a moment of silence in which the Princess stared at Goliath, and then to the men around her who seemed likewise shocked.

"I know of how the Vikings have hurt this land, as I know how hard the Humans in this castle are working everyday for their families. So listen to my decision…" the Prince of Wyvern said. "Whoever has no home can stay here for two months, which should be enough time for them to rebuild, especially if my clan helps them. During this time, any work in the castle will be done by a combination of both local and refugee workers. After this time we will decide again who can stay, based on their work and on the state of their homes."

For a moment, the Humans just stared at the large Gargoyle.

"You can go now," he told them.

Both men looked on the Gargoyle for a moment, then to the Princess who just glared angrily on him, and decided they certainly didn't want to take part in this discussion and hurried out the room.

"How dare you, you filthy beast! To assume you had the right for that!" she screamed on him, having risen from her throne.

"We are not beasts or monsters, we are Gargoyles! And I'm going to teach you to respect the name," he replied in a harsh voice, crossing his arms. "I am the leader of this castle and all of its people, and from now on things will change, beginning with this..."

With that, Goliath began ripping off all of his expensive clothes in front the unbelieving stare of the Princess until he stood in only his old loincloth.

"From now on these will be the only clothes I shall wear, and you will have to get used to it, especially during the feast in the Great Hall tonight," the Gargoyle told her, as he turned around to leave for the door.

"Feast?" Katherine shouted on the large Gargoyle. "What feast? There is no feast tonight!"

Goliath paid her no heed, but instead noticed how the guards stood to attention as he passed them, marking one great improvement already.

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**Later That Evening; Great Hall:**

A happy feast was being celebrated in the Great Hall...or at least on the left side of the Hall, where members of the clan ate for the first time in years, using the time for eating, drinking and talking happily amongst themselves. Most of the clan, including the Wild Four, were laughing loudly at one another, joking and feasting. One of them, who had drunk a little ale, stood up on top of the tables, dancing around, much to the bemusement and annoyance of some of their neighbours who quietly rebuked him.

The Humans on the right side were much quieter. They watched the Gargoyles with suspicion and downright disgust, but the Gargoyles did not mind in the slightest, as they were long since used to it, and were too overjoyed to finally being allowed back in the Great Hall to let any Human prejudice stand in their way of a good time.

Occasionally, one of the Humans threw a short look to the head of the table where the Princess sat beside the castle's Regent on the Gargoyle side of the table.

Katherine tried her best not to lose her dignity, knowing that her people were watching her, and that everyone must have realised that she had lost control over the castle...over her own home.

Yet the barking of the Gargoyles' beasts thwarted her attempt at even that, as they ran across the Hall from one side to another, followed by an occasional stream of hatchlings, as they ran behind and even _under_ the table.

"Are you well?" Goliath asked in a worried tone, having heard her shriek, as she had felt something that was either a hatchling or a beast run under the table.

She just glared at him angrily before going back to her meal, eating up the meat with the fork she had dropped on her plate out of surprise, trying to consume it as quickly as possible. Yet this effort was also thwarted when she heard the sounds of someone to her left who seemed even more eager to clean his plate.

Since it had become known to her that tonight they were to share their table with the Gargoyles, she had done her best not to show her disgust, or to even look around at what had once been _her_ Great Hall, now filled with monsters gorging on the food that had been prepared by the best cooks. She had especially done her best not to look around the Hall since she learned that she was to share her own table with some of the clan. She hadn't even looked to her left since the meal had started.

Despite her better judgement, Katharine finally turned to look.

There, sitting right next to her, was the largest and fattest creature, Gargoyle or not, that she had ever seen. It was a huge and thick aquamarine-skinned Gargoyle, similar to that of Goliath's second, but younger and seemingly with more fat than muscle. Just the sight of this large Gargoyle devouring his food made her feel sick, as she raised her hand to cover her mouth.

He ate as though he had not eaten in days, grabbing one clawful after another, ramming food into his mouth, chewing loudly and noisily. When he finally seemed to finish, he leaned back on his chair, which creaked loudly in protest, but before she could even take a sigh of relief…

"BUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRP!"

He suddenly let loose a large belch, so loud that it seemed to echo clear across the room.

The aquamarine youngster sat in his chair, a look of content on his face, as he patted his huge bulging belly, causing it to give a large jiggle, while Katherine sat still for a few moments, seemingly in shock.

It was not uncommon for people to give a burp after dinner, as that was good manners for people to show that they had enjoyed the meal. But for this Gargoyle, his had not been a small burp…it had been thunder.

Aside from a few of her own people who looked up at the young Gargoyle, mimicking her own look of surprise and disgust, none of the clan took notice of the young Gargoyle's lack of manners, most likely because they were long since used to it.

Then just when she thought she couldn't be more disgusted, he did the impossible…and went to reach for some _more_ food from the large plate of cooked meats near the centre of the table. The plate, however, was too far for him to reach, so he stood up to lean right over the table.

When he stood up, Katherine could not help but stare unbelieving at the mass of his abdomen. Its size seemed to suggest that he had eaten three whole cows already in that night.

"Excuse me, Princess," he said politely, leaning over right in front of her, reaching for the plate. As he leaned over, part of his loincloth at the back flapped over and hung to the side, revealing a large section of his upper thigh and left buttock.

Katherine fought hard to control her stomach, as her eyes unwillingly stayed focused in shock at the large quivering mass of aqua flesh. His huge rear bobbed up and down in front of her, as he leaned over, grabbing the meat and other food from around the table.

Finally, he refilled his plate and straightened back up again, smiling gratefully at the wife of his leader.

"Thank you," he said and sat back down, eagerly indulging in his food yet again.

She fought hard to soothe her stomach, as the sight of the big Gargoyle's backside was forever engraved into her memory.

"Why can't your kind wear more clothes?" she hissed at her husband, feeling ill.

"We have very little need for them, as we don't suffer from the elements as easily as your kind," Goliath explained while shrugging his massive shoulders. "Indeed, in the past before Humans and Gargoyles lived together, we all walked as your newborn babes do…_un-clothed_. Why even today during the summer, my siblings and I sometimes go down to the lake in the forest where we remove..."

"ENOUGH!" she screamed on him, making several of the crowd look on her in surprise.

Goliath blinked at her.

"Thank you," she said more quietly. "But that is more than I asked to know…or _desired_." She hissed, as she tried burning away the image of Goliath and his clanmates standing in the forest on the Summer Solstice, clad only in what Humans of the future would one day call their _birthday suits_, in her mind.

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**Two Hours Later; The Royal Chambers:**

The rest of the evening had passed by agonizingly slow. When the clan had not been gorging themselves on the castle's food, they had got up and danced to the castle musicians. Some of them had even asked a few of her people to dance with them, and even more shockingly, some of them had actually accepted.

Katherine supposed that it was only good manners that they had agreed to it, but even so, she found it infuriating to watch. Here she was, trapped in a marriage to one of these beasts, forced to bear his company whether she liked it or not, while those people willingly accepted their company.

After everyone had had their fill of the meal, the large aquamarine one taking an especially long time, Katherine had finally managed to excuse herself, claiming to be tired and wishing to retire.

She had hurried to her room, only to be followed by her husband who had insisted on accompanying her to their room.

She was tempted to slam the door in his face, but knew that would do no good, as besides the fact that this room was now his, he could easily ram the door down with one kick.

Goliath passed through the large doorway into the Royal Quarters, staring at her thoughtfully. His keen stare always unnerved her, and although he had never insinuated any real desire to finally consummate their marriage, she still felt her heart freeze every time when he followed her to their room.

"What do you want now?" she demanded. "Isn't it enough that I have to cope with you stealing my Kingdom, taking over my duties and finally having to sit with you and your damned clan at dinner? What more do you want?"

He met her hard stare with a calm one. "I expect you, as Princess of Wyvern, to become more involved with the life of this castle."

"I thought I was already doing that right before you stole my throne from me," she said bitterly.

"No, you have merely been ruling us with prejudice and a cold heart," Goliath said accusingly. "As leader of a clan, they do not serve _you_, you serve _them_! And come tomorrow, you will begin your first new duties as sister to my clan"

She looked at him as though he had gone mad. "A sister?" she said disbelieving. "To your kind! You truly must be out of your mind if you think I shall ever agree to that!

"Do you think I would bother suggesting it if you had any real choice?" he replied, and then added more slowly, "My _wife_!"

She seethed lowly. The term _wife_ was now forever a bane to her existence.

"You are trying my patience, _husband_," she rebuked.

"Nonetheless, never forget your place now, Katherine," he said, calling her by her first name for once. "Remember, I rule now. Though I would prefer to rule by your side as an equal, I will not stand by and have you rebuke those who serve you loyally, my clan especially. And I will not have you sitting in here every day and night doing nothing. Whether you like it or not, you are now sister to my clan through our union, and as such you shall learn to live as one of us, too."

If Katherine had been a Gargoyle then her eyes would surely have been flaming red as she glared dangerously at her husband.

"Come tomorrow," he continued. "You shall face your first duty as sister to my clan, beginning with what I believe some Humans call…beast-keeping."

**"_What_?"**

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**Castle Battlements; Next Evening:**

The siblings sat on the battlements and watched the scene in the castle courtyard below with mixed feelings of disbelief, amusement and interest.

"How long has she been doing that?" Othello asked, having just arrived together with the hunting party.

"Fifteen minutes," Desdemona replied, looking down where the Princess was unsuccessfully trying to hold several gargbeasts, which ran around her like mad, in check.

"Where are the other beast-keepers?" Diomedes asked from his position beside Fuchsia.

"Guess they were otherwise occupied," Thersities explained with a broad grin on his beak, elbowing his brother.

"Weren't you assigned to that, too?" Fuchsia asked.

Thersities looked at her with a sheepish smile, yet he knew better than to answer that while watching how the Princess's clothing gathered more and more mud by the uncontrolled beasts.

"Can't believe he got her to do that," Desdemona wondered out-loud, watching how the Princess began shouting at the beasts in anger and frustration.

"Oh, I heard she refused, until there was a talk," Thersities gossiped. "Apparently, our Second told our leader that since she was his mate then she had to obey him."

"_Really?_" Desdemona asked, looking to her mate with calm but dangerous eyes.

"I remembered him saying that as his wife she had to obey him, _according_ _to Human laws_," Othello hurried to explain. "And apparently it's worked quite well."

A loud shriek made all of them look down to the ground where a beast had thought that the Human wanted to play with them, thus jumping on her and pressing her face into the dirt.

"Quite well," Thersities commented.

"I can't believe she's doing all that work in _that_ dress!" Desdemona said in disbelief, eyeing the fine tailored gown Katherine was wearing. "You'd think she'd be smart enough to at least dress properly for work like this. Those clothes of hers will be nothing but tatters by the time she's finished."

Othello shrugged. "The Princess is quite stubborn," he admitted. "And she is unused to hard work, so she may not know how to dress for anything other than a Ball or feast. She will probably be better prepared next time."

Desdemona looked doubtful.

Meanwhile, down below, Katherine raised herself up from the mud, spitting some out from her mouth, spluttering in anger.

Some of the beasts came close to her, attempting to lick her affectionately.

She spun her head sharply to them, glaring angrily at them with a look that would frighten even Goliath at that moment.

The beasts all cowered back; their ears drooped low, whimpering slightly.

"This is the absolute limit!" she screeched, throwing the ropes that had been used as a leash to the ground. Her voice was strained by her sheik.

"Problems, Your Highness?" a rough Scottish brogue asked.

She didn't need to look up to see who had spoke, as she knew the voice well, having heard it many times in her youth when her father spoke with him. "You and your whole clan are my problem, creature!" she hissed at the elder with the one eye.

The Mentor didn't respond at first, but just stood where he was, staring at the now mud-covered Princess.

"Just so ye know," he finally spoke. "You've got something on yuir face."

Katherine glared hatefully at him, knowing full well that her entire body was covered from head to toe in mud, not just her face.

"I heard Goliath had set this task for you," he remarked. "But I had to see it for myself to believe it. Never thought I'd see the night when I'd find you in the dirt with the beasts."

"Well, I hope you and that traitor Captain are splitting your sides with laughter," she spat. "You certainly earned it…conspiring together, tricking my father into betrothing me to your leader, stealing my throne, making me no more than a slave in my own castle! Yes, you earned every laugh and giggle from your mouth!"

The former leader sighed. "Your Highness, I know it don't look like it, but believe it or not we did all this for your own good, too."

She laughed spitefully. "Yes, I am sure subjecting me to outrageous humiliation night after night will help me someday, if ever I should consider work as a Court Jester!"

The Mentor stood there for a few moments, staring at her thoughtfully before finally coming up to her. "Do ye require any help?" he asked, indicating the beasts that were still cowering in the far corner of the courtyard.

She didn't respond at first. Part of her wanted to just throw the leashes at him and leave him to look after the blasted animals by himself… But Goliath had set her a task, and despite everything, demeaning as it was to her, Katherine was a Princess born from nobility, and as such her own sense of honour refused to let her back down from any challenge.

"No," she said elegantly. "We thank you, but we do not require any help in anything so mere as taking care of some animals, large as they maybe."

'Well, at least she's polite,' the old warrior thought. 'And not a weakling when it comes to challenges.'

"As ye wish, Your Highness," he replied, bowing shortly before her. He turned around to leave, but before he did, he paused briefly.

"Your Highness," he started. "Forgive me for bringing this up, as I know it to be a painful subject for you, but… Just so you know, my clan and I…we did try our best to help your father when the Archmage poisoned him. Any one of us would have given our own life to save his if we could have."

Katherine stiffened, her hand clutching the leash tightly. "We do not wish to talk of such things, Gargoyle," she remarked. "Twas a long time ago and nothing can change what happened, so talking about it will make no difference now."

"Aye, but…"

"We will speak no more of this!" she said harshly, eyeing him dangerously.

The Mentor of the Gargoyle clan opened his mouth, seemingly to speak more, but in the end he chose against it. Sighing once more, he made another short bow and left.

She stood where she was for a few moments longer, watching him leave until she started to head towards the beasts, their leashes in her hands.

"All right then, beasts," she muttered. "Tis time for your walk, and then your bath."

The watchdogs whined.

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**Royal Chambers; Three Hours Later:**

Goliath sat in the large oak chair beside the fireplace, reading the book that he had borrowed from Brother Edmund. It had been a long night of almost endless discussions between members of his own clan, settling disputes with the Humans and telling the Royal Tailors to once again leave him alone as he no longer required their services. As such, he was grateful for the moment to finally relax.

The only thing that confused him now was…where was Katherine? It was late into the night and she still hadn't returned to their room. He had, for now, given her the single task of taking care of the watchdogs, as he knew she would not yet be used to remaining awake for so long into the night.

Suddenly, the door to their room burst open and Katherine came staggering in, looking as though she had just walked in from a typhoon, her clothes soaking wet.

"What on…?" he began.

"Your beasts have now been thoroughly walked and cleaned!" she yelled at him and then strode up to her private changing quarters. "If you don't mind, we are fatigued and wish to retire for the night!" Not waiting for an answer, she went straight behind the curtain to change.

Goliath stared at her curtain for a moment, blinking in surprise. "Perhaps I should have given her watch-duty instead?" he wondered.

**To Be Continued… **


	4. Chapter 4

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles and Gargoyles comics are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
>No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.<br>All original characters are the property of Storyseeker and Hardwing.**_

_**Here it is, the newly revamped saga! With fresh new/extended and altered scenes! **_

_**Once again, this story was co-written with the great author Hardwing! Many thanks!**_

_**This fic saga is set in an alternate universe, in Wyvern's past, with characters from the Gargoyles comics, the Dark Ages Saga in TGS and some of Hardwing's own characters. It starts off right after the events shown in the show's episode 'Long Way To Morning' in 984 A.D. where the events in that chapter lead to a different conclusion for the clan. It is also set in the same timeline as the show in that era, with two small differences… and that's Goliath didn't get his name until 984 A.D. and the eggs hatched soon in 995 A.D.**_

_**Oh, and in case some people get offended at some of the sexist remarks in this saga… Please remember that it is set in the medieval ages (things were different back then). **_

_**Many thanks to Kimberly Towle for her suggestions, and to the author Aesop for all his proofreading!**_

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**One Month Later; Castle Wyvern:**

Time had not been so kind to the Royal household of Wyvern…or at least to its Princess anyway.

Goliath had intended to give Katherine different duties to attend to each night, to make her better understand clan-life. But after the fiasco with the beast-hounds and her continuing outbursts with the clan, he thought it best that she remain with just that one duty, at least for now.

On the other hand, if he knew what she truly thought of the beasts and wanted to do to them, he would have undoubtedly taken her off that one duty as well.

He had hoped that over time she would get over her prejudice toward him and his kind, but so far she had yet to even stop scowling at him.

He couldn't understand it, really. Oh, Goliath knew she was a stubborn brat, but this went far beyond mere arrogance. With every night she seemed to grow more fearful of him, despite the fact that he had done nothing to make her so.

The next full moon had come and gone, leaving the rest of the clan with mixed feelings over the events of the past month. Despite Katherine's behaviour, there had been a lot of changes in the castle for the clan, all for the better, and the elders seemed to have set aside their plans to overthrow Goliath as leader…much to his sly brother Iago's disgust.

Despite the good news, Goliath could not help but still feel anxious. The constant dark looks he kept getting from Iago were no help, but he also knew it was because there were still many in his clan who frowned upon his mate-ship to Katherine. Thankfully, though, for the moment, all seemed content.

A lot of them, particularly among the younger generation, were reaping the benefits of the union, some even daring to speak back to the castle guards who had at one time made it their pastime to insult and/or belittle them. Although, he didn't approve of any strong talk between their two races, he was glad his clan no longer had to fear defending themselves to the humans anymore. As long as they didn't start any violence with them, then they were within their rights to defend their honour, as far as he was concerned.

Many of the humans were left disgruntled, but some had actually begun to respect the Gargoyles a bit more, and had even started talking to them.

Katherine, however, had yet to offer even a civil word.

Because of her continuing refusal to openly accept the clan as now permanent full members of her household, Goliath still wouldn't allow her to take part in any of her prior Royal duties. As such, she was stuck with mere beast-keeping as the main event of her nightly schedule.

0000000000

**Castle Wyvern; Shortly Before Dawn:**

Princess Katherine looked at the form of the beast that dared to call himself her husband, as he soared past her window with one of his other warriors. Dawn was approaching, so he was making his last rounds of the castle.

'Night after night he acts more impudent,' she thought, fearing what might come soon. 'I will probably be eaten by the beasts soon.'

Shivering, she looked out of the window, watching the dim light of the morning's approaching sun, enjoying the view of its rising as a welcome escape from the nightmare her nights had become.

"Princess, do you feel cold?" a concerned voice asked from behind her.

She turned around to see Mysie, one of her handmaidens, standing at the door, white garments in her arms to take away to be washed.

"Excuse me, milady," her servant began. "I knocked at the door, but there was no response. I came to see if there were anymore laundry you needed washed?"

"It is all right," she replied, thinking she must have been very deep in her thoughts if she hadn't heard the knocking on her door. "I was just thinking over my cruel fate."

"Oh dear, milady," Mysie said comfortingly, though inwardly she didn't think the Princess had it anywhere near as bad as she made out. True, the Gargoyles still scared her from time to time, but the nights of her serving the Gargoyle Prince had revealed to her that as fearsome as he looked, he was definitely no monster. He had been nothing but polite and courteous to her since the night of their first meeting.

Mysie, though, had better sense than to tell this to her Highness, yet she couldn't resist speaking out, if only to comfort her a bit. "It could be worse, Your Highness," she added.

"How could that be possible?"

She frowned for a moment, wondering what she could say on this; until she noticed three more shapes pass by the window. "You could be married to one of _them_," she remarked jokingly, pointing at the window.

The Princess looked to see what she was pointing at, which turned out to be three young Gargoyles gliding past her window, most likely returning to their roosts for the day. They looked to be physically the same age as she (around 18 years old). The first was a red one, who could easily be mistaken to be the devil himself, except he had a long beak.

She cringed, trying to imagine him giving her a kiss on their Wedding Day with that beak.

The second was a small, green one with webwings and enormous eyes. The first sight of him made her think of him as a flying squirrel, and the second look as an overgrown lizard, because of his green skin. Neither was very appeal-able.

Then there was the one closest to her window, and who was completely un-miss-able.

He was a huge Gargoyle, with large fin-like ears, completely bald except for some horns on top of his head, tusk-like fangs, and an absolutely massive stomach. Even now, as he was gliding overhead with his belly beneath him, it seemed to hang off him like a large sack of potatoes, making her wonder how he could stay afloat in the air.

She recognised him as the one who had sat beside her on the first night when the Gargoyles had feasted in the Great Hall. She grimaced, as she remembered the sight of his wobbling posterior before her, not to mention his atrocious table manners. And then she imagined him being her husband.

"You are not well, My Lady?" Mysie asked, observing her as she suddenly took on a sickly expression, shuddering and grimacing. "Allow me to help you into bed, Highness. A cold will do you no good."

Still grimacing by the thought of the large aquamarine one, Katherine didn't bother to correct the maid on her error, and allowed herself to be dressed in her nightdress and put into bed.

"Will there be anything else, Highness?" Mysie asked.

She shook her head. "No thank you, Mysie. You may go."

The maid bowed shortly, and then left the room, leaving Katherine alone in the silence of her room, no sound save for the crackling from the fireplace. Goliath would undoubtedly be back soon, so she wanted to be asleep before he came.

As she curled up to sleep, she couldn't help but think about Mysie's remark concerning Goliath and the young ones. Personally, she didn't see how it would matter which one of the clan she had married, since either way she would have a monster for a husband. But then again, she had to admit that the thought of calling the round one husband, and sitting next to him at dinner for the rest of her life was enough to give her pause. Particularly how he always ended his meal with a belch loud enough to be heard across country.

He would probably give her an earache for the rest of her life if she had to put up with that eternally, she thought, smiling bitterly.

Shuddering again, she sank her head into her soft pillow, welcoming the sleep waiting for her.

But sleep, that night, offered no relief.

0000000000

_She found herself at the feast again, but this time there wasn't the brute Goliath by her side, but..._

"_Ummm, you gonna eat that?" a muffled voice said. _

'_Oh no,' she thought, recognising the voice. _

_Sure enough, when she turned around she found the aquamarine Gargoyle sitting beside her, where Goliath should be sitting, with a goose's leg in his mouth and eagerly grabbing some vegetables with his other claw. _

_Katherine fought to quell her stomach, as she watched him endlessly fill his mouth with every scrap of food on the table, chewing noisily, his belly seemingly growing with every bite. _

"_This is great!" he told her, praising the greasy goose leg, which he held under her nose after ripping out a large piece of it with his mouth. "You should try some!" he said, spitting out some of the meat from his mouth as he spoke. _

_She grimaced, as he held the leg out to her, definitely not tempted to eat something that he had already taken a bite out of. But it seemed her new husband was not to be swayed. _

"_You should eat something," he insisted, pressing the leg closer to her face. "It wouldn't do to have my wife hunger."_

"_Get that thing away from me!" she demanded, rising up from her throne to leave, but her ***husband*** held her down by resting his heavy arm around her shoulders. _

"_You must become full and healthy like I," the young Gargoyle insisted good-heartily, patting his huge belly, which emitted a loud booming sound like a drum, while all the court, Humans and Gargoyles alike, laughed loudly. _

_Katherine forced herself to rise, glaring at the young upstart. _

"_Hey! Don't be like tha…whoa!" he yelped, as the throne upon which he had been sitting on seemed to finally lose its strength, as it cracked and splintered under his weight. _

_Even sitting down, he still towered over her, and when the throne shattered, he fell to the side, with his arm still around her, pushing her down under him._

_She squealed, as she lost her footing and fell over sidewards, with the heavy Gargoyle falling on top of her…_

0000000000

Katherine screamed, fighting to get the giant Gargoyle off of her before he crushed the life out of her. "Get off! Get off! GET OFF!" she yelled.

"Katherine!" a deep voice called to her. "Katherine, wake up!"

With a final yelp, she opened her eyes.

"Wha…?" she breathed shallowly.

"It is all right," Goliath said, standing over her, his claws on her shoulders, having had to shake her slightly to arouse her. "You were dreaming. I came in and found you seemingly struggling with yourself."

She said nothing at first, and just took deep breaths while still looking around, half-expecting the large Gargoyle to appear suddenly. Once she was certain she was well and truly awake, she blushed, realising that for the last few minutes she must have been struggling with nothing more than her own blanket.

"Are you well?" Goliath asked her.

She opened her mouth to answer him, until she remembered to whom she was talking to, and self-consciously pulled the blankets up to her neck, covering herself as much as she could.

"I'm fine!" she snapped, making him take a step back.

Goliath looked as if he was about to say something further, but before he could, the first rays of daylight came shining in through the window, turning his lavender-coloured skin into a hard grey. His face was frozen in a look of surprise and confusion, and worse his whole body was stuck standing over her bed, right at her side, looking down on her.

Katherine cursed. "Oh, by the…!"

0000000000

**Next Evening: **

Katherine had left her chambers, making her way to where the Gargoyle-hounds were even now waiting for her, eager for their walk. Despite the fact that taking care of such beasts was obviously messy work, she still insisted on wearing her fine Royal gowns, refusing to look anything like a mere servant.

And because of this decision, she was now more than several gowns short in her wardrobe, most of them having been torn, shredded and slobbered on by the beast-dogs.

As she made her way through the long corridors, leading the way to the courtyard, she could make out the faint chatter of the castle-servants. When she walked on further, she heard the voices gradually increase in volume and realised she was close to them.

She soon neared the source of the chatter, as she reached the far corner of the corridor. The servants in question were beyond the corner, chattering amongst themselves, and had not noticed her arrival.

She couldn't tell how many of them there were, as she couldn't see them, but she could now clearly hear them…a variety of mixed voices.

"_...and so my cousin went to the Priests residing in the Wyvern's Inn and told them to intervene for her on her behalf,"_ one of them said. "_They did and he had to marry her!"_

"_But aren't they English Priests?"_

"_It matters not, as they are God's servants as much as our own Priests are."_

"_What are English Priests doing in an inn of all things? If they are from England, shouldn't they be here at the Castle or somewhere?" _

_"Nay, they are not high members of the Clergy. They are just some lowly Priests wandering our country. They claim they are just travelling, but I suspect they are keeping an eye on our kinsmen. These damned English think they own everything!"_

A few murmurs of agreement came from them, followed by the first one then saying...

"_And the best thing is…it turns out my cousin isn't pregnant at all!"_

Giggles arose and the Princess prepared to calmly leave. After all, she had better things to do than to listen to her maidens gossiping when...

"_Oh, did you hear the latest news?" _one of the others said.

"_No, what is it?_

"_I heard our new Prince is planning on having his clan made the official guards of the castle now. Just think, soon we'll have to be bowing down to those creatures every time we see them!" _

"_Yes, now that they have free reign over the castle, you can't go anywhere without one of those blasted things taking up space in the corridor!" _

"_What about the Princess? Surely she can do something about this?" _

"_Not from what I've heard. Apparently, our Prince Goliath has completely taken over her Royal duties." _

One of the other ladies snorted in disgust. "_If you ask me, she put up no damn resistance to this union in the first place." _

"_How do you mean?" _

The previous lady sniggered lowly. "_Well, put it this way…I hear that every time she and our lord have a disagreement, he takes her right up to their __**bed**__-chambers." _

The assorted women gasped.

"_Surely you jest!" _

"_Oh, how revolting!" _

"_Tis a disgrace!" _

"_Maybe, but it makes sense when you think about it," _the first woman remarked. "_Think of how easily she caved in, agreeing to this marriage. She probably didn't plan it, but I bet she didn't object. My guess is she likes the overgrown bat." _

From beyond the corner, Katherine's face was seething in rage, as the women laughed and joked about their mistress's plight.

Unable to listen in anymore, she turned and went to find another way down to the courtyard.

0000000000

The inseparable Trio of young male Gargoyles made their way across the castle courtyard. They had just completed their chores for the night.

"Couldn't we find some way to get out of tonight's lesson?" the red beaked one whined. "I swear, if I have to listen to one of that old windbag's lectures one more time, I'll…"

"Oh, calm down!" the small, green web-winged one hushed him. "I know he can go on a bit, but Goliath says we can learn much from his experience."

"A _bit_?" the red one half-laughed, half-scoffed. "More like an eternity! The last time he had us listening to one of his tales, we were with him for nearly half the night!"

"I see no harm in hearing a tale or two," the large aquamarine one remarked, looking at the sky. "At least we can get some sleep."

The three were, of course, referring to the elder known in Brother Edmund's journals as Agamemnon. An intelligent Gargoyle, with the same build as the former leader from whose generation he was also part of, with brown hair instead of white, a slightly lighter skin tone, and known for being more than a bit pompous in his almost constant and long-winded lectures.

"But that's just the thing though," the first moaned. "We're always having to wait till another night, because our chattering elder uses up all our time in telling us stories, as if we were hatchlings. We stopped listening to stories years ago!"

The small one turned his chin up. "Personally, I don't think you're ever too old to listen."

"Maybe, but…" the first stopped, having noticed something. "Hey, look who it is."

His two rookery brothers looked over the courtyard and saw none other than their leader's human mate coming out of one of the tower staircases.

"You'd think she would have learned by now," the second sniggered, indicating the fine gown she was wearing. "I've heard she's already lost over twenty dresses to our hounds' jaws and saliva."

"Maybe we should go help her?" the large third one suggested. He had always been the kindest and most thoughtful one in their group.

"Why should we?" the red one grumbled. He didn't have a fiery vendetta against all the Humans like some of those in his clan, but the Princess had never been one of his favourites. He knew her hatred for his kind all too well, remembering a time when she had yelled at him just for walking the same path as her.

"Because it's polite," his large eared brother told him. "Because maybe she would appreciate the help. Because she's our leader's mate and…because she's our clan-sister now."

The first groaned. He knew that ever since Goliath had told them all to treat the Princess as they would one of their own kind, it would come back to haunt him.

"It can't hurt to offer," the second added, looking at him thoughtfully with his big wide eyes.

The red-skinned warrior sighed. "Fine," he said and led the way to where Katherine was heading.

Katherine fumed and seethed inwardly, her thoughts ablaze. How dare they accuse her of collaborating with the clan! And more importantly, how dare they suggest she actually held feelings and was having some kind of sexual relationship with her monster of a husband!

She came close to where the beast-hounds were being kept, eager to start and finish her duties for the night, when…

"Greetings, _sister_!" a loud voice boomed at her.

She turned to see three young Gargoyles coming toward her, one of which she recognised very well.

It was the three young Gargoyles from last night, including the one with the large fin-like ears, and an appetite that would rival a hundred starving lions. She stared at him, fighting her fear. Even now, she couldn't help but think back on that stupid dream from last night.

The large youngster gave her a bright smile, apparently not noticing her discomfort. Neither did the other two.

The red one with the long beak led the way with the other two behind him. He had a smile on his beak, though it looked forced. The small green one's smile, however, looked as genuine as the large ones, as he came to her on all fours like the hounds.

Maybe it was from eavesdropping on the servant's gossiping about her predicament, or maybe all the long weeks she had spent taking care of the hounds, or how her husband had managed to steal her throne with barely raising a talon, but whatever it was…Katherine was incensed.

And the fact that one of these monsters had dared to call her its sister had not helped matters at all either.

"DO NOT CALL ME YOUR SISTER, MONSTER!" she screamed at the three youngsters, making them stop in their tracks. "I am NOT your sister, nor will I ever be! No matter what your leader may say, I am Princess of this castle and you will address me as Your Royal Highness. Nothing less! And if you ever attempt to say so otherwise, I will personally have you all shattered myself, you _filthy_ _VERMIN_!"

She then rushed off in a huff, kicking at the earth as she did so.

The three stood where they were, speechless, wondering what it was they had done wrong.

"What in the name of the Dragon got her dress in a tangle?" the red one muttered. He was angry about being spoken to in such a way, though it was no big surprise to him, as he had expected as much from the Princess.

His two brothers, however, were not.

"What did we do?" the large one asked out loud. "We barely got a word out, and all we were going to do was ask her if she needed help."

"She's the Princess," the first one scoffed. "What reason does she need for acting like a stuck-up wench?"

The smallest among them just looked aghast, as he stared at Katherine's retreating form.

"Hey, don't worry about it, brother," the first said comfortingly. His smallest brother had always been the most sensitive one. "She gets that way with all of us, including our leader, and he's supposed to be her mate. Don't take it too personally."

"How can I not?" the green one snarled. "Did you hear what she called us? _Vermin_! After everything our clan has done for hers, after all our years of loyalty, the risks we have taken, the sacrifices…she dares call us vermin! And she's supposed to be one of us now, what with her union to Goliath!"

"You can't expect her to change her opinion of us just because she's mated to one of us," he told him. "If you were to marry a cat to a mouse, you wouldn't expect the cat to not eat the mouse just because they were mated, would you?"

"_Hey, what's happening here?"_ a new voice called out.

The trio looked up to see The Wild Four, a group of four young males as close as the Trio, but known for getting into twice more mischief, gliding down toward them.

"We saw the Princess with you," the small black one asked. "What did she say?"

The red one of the Trio sighed. "What she usually says…" He explained what had happened, telling them of their intent to help their would-be sister, ending with her shouting out at them before they even made the offer.

When he was finished, all four of them were quietly gnashing their fangs in anger.

_"Why the ungrateful, whining little…!"_

_"After everything we've done for her, too!"_

_"**We've** done?"_

_"Well, everything our clan has done anyway."_

The crested and light-brown skinned one stared hard at the Trio. He knew, as well as they did, that they supposed to leave the Princess be, and any problems that they had with her they were meant to tell the leader, but… What she had just done demanded nothing less than retaliation!

"So what are you planning to do about it?" he asked.

The Trio looked blankly at him.

"Do what?" the red one asked. "What can we do? She's the Princess."

"Aye," the brown one replied, grinning. "That may be, but she's no longer in control, is she?"

The leader of the Trio shrugged. "Aye, I suppose, but even so, what's that got to do with anything?"

"I'm saying remember that she is now mate to our leader," he explained. "And whether she likes it or not, she is now sister to our clan, and Goliath told us to treat her as such. So tell me…if one of our rookery sisters did what she just did now, what would you do?"

"Well…" the large one said thoughtfully. "If it were one of our real sisters then…I guess we would either report her to one of the elders."

"Tattle-tale," the small green one muttered, earning a hot glare from his larger brother.

"_Or_…" the large one continued. "We would simply get back at her somehow."

The four wild ones all grinned. "Exactly!" they said simultaneously.

"Now let's see," the brown one wondered out loud. "Brother, what do you think would most irritate our Human sister?" he said, addressing his small smoke-black sibling.

The smoky coloured Gargoyle sat on the ground deep in thought, as he pondered this. After a while, he smiled. "I think I have an idea," he concluded, grinning.

His plan was a simple one and easy to explain, after which all of the Four were close to laughter. But while the Four were busy grinning, and the green and red ones of the Trio definitely looked interested with big smirks on their faces, the largest of the Trio looked unsure.

"Err…I'm not so certain about this," he said slowly.

"Oh come now, brother," the tall green one with the long spikes said. "There may have been a time once when we were forced to lay down and kiss that impudent wench's feet, but now… Now she's in the same boat as us, and none of us are obliged any longer to indulge her. And I, for one, am not going to spend the rest of my life letting that whiny brat walk all over me!"

The Trio looked at each other, each searching the other's faces for some sign of agreement.

"She does no longer hold any power in the castle," the beaked one remarked.

"And as our brothers here say, she is our clan-sister, so we should treat her as such," the large one affirmed, though still with a touch of hesitancy.

"And Goliath did say he wanted her to learn humility," the web-winged one added. "In a way, when you think about it, we would be doing her a favour by letting her know the error of her ways. Didn't the elders once tell us that sometimes the only way for someone to learn from their mistakes is to experience its consequences firsthand?"

The Trio then each gave a long grin of their own, including the large one who had overcome his doubts. "So what do we do?" they all asked.

The other four just smirked. "Let's go find our little sister!"

0000000000

Away from where the young warriors had just been chatting, the castle's gargbeasts stood enjoying themselves, playing with one another by either chasing or wrestling each other, all in good harmony except for...

"_Now stand still_!" the Princess shouted at an especially thickheaded, yellow Gargoyle-beast, which had her favourite red handkerchief in its mouth that it had acquired from her pocket in a moment of inattention.

The beast didn't do as ordered, but jumped away from the Human, making turns in the dust as if it was its greatest joy in life, which for all the Princess knew could very well be the case.

For a moment, the Princess even believed that the beast was grinning at her from behind the red piece of cloth.

"You..." she swore, pointing on the beast in a desperate attempt to get its attention long enough so that she could get the handkerchief back.

To the Princess's total surprise, the beast did stop its running and jumping, and just stared at her…or actually, as it dawned on the Human too late, at something _behind_ her.

Before she could utter another word, or even think, a strong pair of light brown arms suddenly grabbed her under the arms and lifted her high up into the air.

"AARRGHH...!" she screamed, but quickly lost her breath as the world under her became smaller.

"_She is heavier than I thought,"_ a voice noted behind the terrified Human.

Managing to avert her eyes from the ground, where the gargbeasts were running around and barking like mad, much too far beneath her, she discovered six young Gargoyles gliding beside her, and the one holding her.

"Must be all the garments she wears," a small red-skinned one answered through his beak.

In a corner of her mind, that somehow remained calm, the Human felt inclined to deny this since she could feel the cold of the wind through the thin material of her clothing, but before she could say anything...

"HEADS UP!" the brown one holding her yelled, and with a mighty heave of his arms, he tossed her higher up into the air.

"YEEEAAARRRRRGHHHHHH!" she screamed, as she soared through the sky before gravity caught up to her and she felt herself fall like a stone. Just as she began to make peace with God, she felt one of the other Gargoyles grab her around her waist, once more gliding through the air with her.

"Throw her to me!" a green-spiked one called out cheerfully, his black mane whirling in the wind.

"No, to me!" another voice yelled out. This came from another young Gargoyle who was also red-skinned, but taller and with a longer beak. This turned out to be one of the three young Gargoyles whom she had had the displeasure of meeting in the courtyard just moments ago.

"You weren't nice to our brothers, you know," a voice suddenly said, and opening her eyes the Princess looked to her side where the beak of the one holding her was split into a wide grin. "But because we are now clan, we have decided to forgive and forget. In fact, as celebration of you becoming our new clan-sister, we have decided to give you your first _gliding lesson_!"

"Don't you daAAAAAARRGHHHHHH...!" she screamed, but already she felt the grip on her loosen and her body beginning to move in another direction, and she quickly accelerated as she began to fall.

"Heave-HO!" the black one laughed, as he tossed her away.

She screamed, as she plummeted to earth, only to end up in the arms of the one with the long spikes.

"Ugh!" the green-skinned one commented, catching her. "You _are_ heavy!"

Katherine yelped, as he soared through the air with her in his grip. All around them, there were six male Gargoyles cheering excitedly, all aching to see if one of them would be her next catcher.

"RELEASE ME AT ONCE!" she ordered, but all that earned was another outburst of laughter from her captors.

"As you wish, _Your Highness_…" the green-skinned one sniggered. "Who wants to hold our new sister next?" he called out, followed by six eager voices crying out for a chance to catch her.

"How's about giving me a go?" a new voice yelled. She had a chance to look down to find the owner of the new voice, recognising him as the large aquamarine one of the Trio, before her current captor released her.

"NOOOOOO!" she screamed, as she fell a few feet to her waiting abductor's arms, only to end up missing his clawed-hands altogether, and land on something else.

The reason the large one had missed her, had been because he was gliding right underneath them, looking as though he were lying on the air, with his front facing the duo. He had put himself in this position to have a better chance at catching the gliding/falling Princess. However, by doing this, he had inadvertently gotten himself a full look up her skirt, thereby viewing her undergarments.

The sight had made him look away, and brought a deep blush to his cheeks, just long enough for her to slip through his claws. Fortunately, while she did not meet his claws, she did land on something else that saved her from a long fall back to earth.

When the green one released her, she fell head over heels, right down to the aqua one, past his claws, and face first into his stomach!

_**[BOING!]**_

That was the sound his stomach made when she fell right onto it.

"Oof!" he groaned, as the top of her head sank deep into his gut, only for it to come rising back up again, as he instinctually straightened his back, pushing his belly right out and her with it.

His stomach had acted as a sort of bouncy cushion, as she felt herself propelled back up into the air like a rocket, right into the claws of the green one who had just previously held her.

The spiked one looked at her in amazement for one second, before breaking out into laughter, along with everyone else.

"Always knew that big belly of yours would come in handy one evening," the tall red one chuckled.

"Let's just be thankful that he was facing her when she fell," the little one with the web-wings said, laughing. "Otherwise she would have fallen on his other side!" With that, he swatted the big Gargoyle's rear with his tail.

"Hey!" the large one roared, giving a short glare to his smaller brother who just laughed at his show of temper.

"Throw her to me!" the lean red one with the short beak shouted from some metres in the distance. "I _might_ be able to catch her!"

Since she couldn't stand the smile on the Gargoyle's face, Katherine closed her eyes, trying not to imagine what it would be like to fall to her doom, how the beasts would feast on her remains.

"Here she comes!" she heard the Gargoyle holding her yell out, laughing as he began swinging her back and forth.

She felt the claws of her captor once again loosen their hold on her, as she swung in the air until…nothing held her.

She couldn't help but scream again, as the Gargoyle holding her released her again. This time, as a result of all the swinging, she ended up doing a perfect 360 as she felt herself fall head over heals before falling down to earth, wondering for the hundredth time if this would be the last time she would feel the wind in her face, and then...

Strong arms captured her. Arms that held her whole body instead of just her shoulders, as the other Gargoyles had done before.

Katherine would still not open her eyes, as she valiantly prepared herself for whoever it was holding her to throw her up into the air again.

"You're safe," a deep and strangely welcome voice told her.

Her eyes opened slowly, and she found the one holding her to be none other than her husband, Goliath. His expression and voice were both soft, as he tried to be comforting while they slowly lost altitude.

Katherine didn't believe him until she felt him touch the ground, and she noticed that they had landed in the courtyard with various Humans and Gargoyles looking at them.

Among the Gargoyle observers there stood Iago, looking at the Princess with something akin to interest…and almost delight.

"Let me down," she tried to order, but it merely came out of her mouth as a weak request, something she hated herself for.

As soon as she touched the ground, her legs felt as weak as pudding, and she needed to prop herself on Goliath's arm for a moment until she believed herself to have enough strength to stand on her own, but not for a moment longer.

Hearing the hated whooshing sound of wings, the Princess looked up to see her former captors, the seven young Gargoyles who seemed now to shrink under their leader's glare, landing. They landed together with the Clan-Second and the former leader, Othello and the Mentor, who were both giving each of the youngsters a heated and white-flared glare.

Othello and the Mentor had been on the battlements discussing clan politics, the Second continuing to update his former leader on how the clan was faring now that Goliath had _finally_ stood up to his mate. Everything had been going smoothly…until Othello had looked up.

When he first saw the seven youngsters, Othello had thought nothing about it, as he knew what game they were playing. He and his rookery siblings had often played catch when they had been young. He hadn't even been bothered when he saw that they weren't using a ball to play the game, as sometimes as a joke his siblings used to use the smallest sibling of their rookery as a ball.

However, when he realised that they were using neither a ball nor a Gargoyle…_then_ he got worried.

The elder soon spotted them, and recognised the Princess at once from the fine garments she was wearing. He knew that Katherine would never willingly participate in anything with his clan, let alone this, so he knew right away that was something was up…besides her.

Fortunately, at that exact moment, Goliath had come out of the Castle, having finished temporarily with his Royal duties, wanting to check in with his clan and see how Katherine was dealing with the Gargbeasts.

He too quickly realised that something was wrong once he saw the youngsters, and raced off the battlements, taking to the air and heading towards the combined quartet and Trio. He had just glided down in front of the smoke-black one when Katherine had literally fallen right into his arms.

Othello and the Mentor had followed their leader into the air, coming up behind the reckless youngsters, preventing their escape in case they made an attempt to make a glide for it.

The young ones now all shared the same look of worry, insecurity…and downright fear at their leaders and elder.

"They will be punished," Goliath promised, managing to give his wife a comforting look, and spared one of pure iron on the young warriors. "I promise."

The Princess wasn't interested in what her husband had just said. In fact, she wasn't even really listening, as instead she turned and hurried back into the relative safety of the castle, leaving the Gargoyles outside alone.

He watched her for a moment as she left, before turning back to the young troublemakers. He glared at them fiercely, not even bothering to cross his arms as he usually did when he was mad, which showed just how furious he was now.

The night's events had at first gathered quite a crowd. Gargoyles who had been close by or on watch duty had glided down to the courtyard, and Humans who had heard all the commotion from inside the Castle had rushed out to see what was happening. Most of them had now left though, not wanting to intrude on something that, to them, was obviously best left to the Gargoyle clan to sort out.

The assembled youngsters gulped, their knees close to knocking, as they stared nervously at their leader who stood glaring at them, clearly waiting for an explanation.

"W-w-we w-w-were…" the brown-crested one of the 'Wild Four' began hopefully, stuttering as he did so. "…We were giving her a gliding lesson?"

Goliath's eyes flared bright white, revealing that this excuse was not acceptable.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE TROUBLE YOU HAVE CAUSED TONIGHT?" his voice roared. "Years of planning, months of trying to get the Princess to see reason… All may have been lost tonight because of _you_!"

The young ones cringed.

"We meant no harm!" the red one of the Trio pleaded. "We spoke to her earlier, and we were only being friendly. We even offered to aid her with her duties in caring for the beasts, but all she did was throw our offer back in our faces. She called us vermin and even threatened to have us shattered during the day if we ever spoke to her again."

"So you decided to get back at her by tossing her around like a ball in midair?" Goliath demanded, not in the least mollified.

"No, not at first, but…" the beaked one began, but paused.

"But what?"

The leader of the Trio remained silent, the end of his beak screwed up slightly, as he stared nervously at the ground.

"But then we came along," the brown crested one added. "They told us what had happened and we suggested that they get their own back by helping us play a little joke on her." He and the others were nervous enough as it was, and they weren't keen to get into more trouble, but they weren't about to stand by and watch as their brothers took _all_ the blame for their mistakes.

"A little _joke_?" Goliath's eyes seemed to glowing brighter by the second.

Deep down, he didn't know why he was so surprised at the youngsters' prank. He had, after all, been putting up with their antics for years now. The Wild Four were known for getting into the worst trouble, and the Trio were only slightly better, but this was the first time that the two gangs had teamed up to pull one together.

"We never intended to hurt her!" the smoke-black one insisted. "Just shake her up a little. Let her know what it was like to be afraid, like we are during the day. But we never intended any actual harm to come to her, _we swear_!"

"Maybe," Goliath admitted, still glaring at the seven. "But no matter what your intentions, the fact remains that the Princess _thinks_ that you did intend her true harm! And now, after months of trying to reach her, we may never have a chance to do so again!"

He swore below his breath. "From now on, all you seven will have increased chores, including taking over Katherine's duty of caring for the watchdogs. Seeing as she has already completed that chore for tonight, you will start that duty first thing tomorrow evening. As for tonight, you can clean out the stables from top to bottom, and once you've finished that, you can then spend the rest of the evening together in the Rookery!"

All seven youngsters gasped and stared at their leader in shock and disbelief. Being sent to the Rookery was a punishment reserved only for naughty little hatchlings, not grown warriors.

"The Rookery?" the brown crested one and the tall red beaked one cried out. "Oh but… "

"And no dinner for any of you tonight!" he added finally.

The aquamarine one looked especially horrified at that part of the punishment.

"Ye heard our leader!" the old Mentor ordered, also looking furious at them. "Now get going! To the stables, all of ye!"

The seven of them groaned pathetically, as they grudgingly made their way to the stables.

Goliath, meanwhile, just stood where he was, seething and wondering. He knew Katherine still hated him and his clan with a vengeance, but he really thought he had been making some progress with her. But now…

Now, who knew what her reaction was going to be?

0000000000

"It was horrible!" the Princess said, sitting in one of the chairs in the Magus's chamber, still in her dirty clothes and shaking slightly. "Their laughter, and the heights they dropped me from..."

The Magus in his usual white robes, having knelt beside her, held one of her hands comfortingly.

"Vile beasts," he cursed angrily.

"I don't know if I'll ever feel safe again," she shuddered, removing her hand from the Magus and embracing herself. "For all I know, they or some like them could be waiting outside right now for when I come out, to pick up where they left off."

"Surely Goliath would not allow that?" he asked helplessly.

She snorted. "For all I know, he is probably up there right now laughing with the rest of his clan at my expense! My God, he will probably make a nightly routine of it, just to give some of his demon spawn some amusement!"

'Not while I am breathing,' the Magus promised in his mind.

"I understand, My Princess," he said out loud, standing up. "Humans aren't created to fly or glide...this is unnatural! If we could have just been able to stop them…"

While he talked, Katherine couldn't help but remember that Goliath had indeed stopped them. She secretly wondered why he would have done that and then threatened to punish them afterwards. After all, they were of his kind so he no longer had to act nice around her for the sake of his clan, and he obviously bore no real love towards her.

If this had occurred a month or so ago she would have understood, because if something like that had happened she would have expected nothing less than for Goliath to get down on all fours and beg for forgiveness, but now… Now he had her Kingdom, her title and everything, so why should he continue being civil let alone friendly towards her?

She frowned. 'Could it be that…?' she thought, and then shook her head quickly; ridding herself of the ridiculous thought that he might actually have done what he did to help her.

She remained silent while a serving maiden brought her a cup of warm wine, bowed before the Princess and then left.

"If there were just a way to bypass my uncle's influence..." she spoke to herself, holding the warm cup to her lips and then suddenly remembered the maidens who had been joking about her behind her back.

'I should exile them all for that!' the Princess thought angrily. 'Or perhaps even throw them in the dungeon…' But deep down she imagined that her beast husband would set them free anyhow, not allowing her to rule even her own servants. Suddenly, she remembered something else.

"The Priests!" she suddenly exclaimed, staring ahead and dropping the wine-filled cup.

"My Princess?" the Magus asked, still kneeling before her and looking surprised, even worried.

"Earlier tonight, I overheard one of my maidens speak about some English Priests who are staying at the Wyvern's Inn not too far from the castle," she explained, standing up and thinking loudly. "If we can bring them here to see my situation, they will surely see how unholy it is and intervene on my behalf!"

"But your uncle…" he said uncomfortably.

"He won't be able to do anything, Magus. Not if he wants to hold his alliance with the English anyway," she exclaimed happily, beginning to walk up and down the room out of excitement, thrilled of the chance to finally be free of the situation. "You know how they long to rid their land of these beasts, too! So they won't accept them here..."

"Are you really sure you want to take such drastic measures?" he asked, far less convinced of this idea than she was. "The diplomatic situation is delicate, and your uncle will no doubt be unable to deal with this easily."

The Princess looked out of the window, seeing beasts walking on the battlements and their masters gliding in the air...amongst them with her former captors, now holding buckets and broomsticks.

"I am," she said icily, staring at the Magus. "Do what is needed to inform them and bring them here tomorrow. The sooner the better."

Still not entirely certain but nonetheless loyal, the Magus nodded.

"Good, I will return to my _husband_ so as not to make him suspicious," she said, beginning to leave. "Oh Magus, you will see… Soon I shall be free again!"

He watched her as she left his chamber, happy to see her spirits return, but still not entirely convinced of her plan.

Nevertheless, she was still the Princess, and thus, he would walk barefoot into Hell itself for her.

0000000000

**Next Day; Shortly After Sunset:**

The Captain of The Guard stood at the battlements above the Castle's gate. He had just assigned new watch-rotas to some of his guards and, he was happy to say, some of the Gargoyles, too. Since Goliath had now made them all official guards of the Castle, he had left assigning them their posts to him.

He smiled, as he had always hoped for the time when he would be able to treat both those of Goliath's clan and his own soldiers as equals. Now it had finally come to be and…

The sound of approaching horses reached his ears and he looked down from the battlement to see five riders nearing the castle. The leader of the group he recognised as one of the Castle's servants who was most loyal to the Princess, while the four riders following him wore long robes, identifying them as Priests...but their robes proved that they were not of the Scottish clergy.

'Strange,' he thought to himself.

"Hey, you!" he addressed the two guards at their post, or rather trying not to fall asleep at their post. "When did this man leave?" he said, indicating the approaching servant on horseback.

Both guards looked surprised, and winced a little.

"Several hours ago," the one closest to him said. "He said he was to get some English Priests from the Wyvern Inn."

The Captain's eyed widened. "By whose order?" he demanded.

"Princess Katherine, sir."

"And you didn't tell me?" he shouted at them, on which both of them each took one step backwards.

"B-b-b-but..." one of the soldiers stuttered for an answer, but the Captain didn't care for it, noticing that the riders had already reached the gate, asking the guards for entry.

Turning around and leaving the still stuttering guards, forgetting them eventually despite swearing to himself he would not. He raced down to the courtyard where one of the last few groups of refugees still left were getting ready to leave at daybreak tomorrow.

"But, mother!" a small blonde boy whined at a thicker woman, as he packed a carriage with some of the other people. "Morg told me you can see all the way to the end of the world from the highest tower."

"Forget it, Tom! I know you only want to see those beasts," the woman told her son sternly. "I didn't keep you away from them all these months just to allow it now!"

"But, mother, I heard they have eggs as big as dogs!" the boy grouched.

The Captain paid this no attention, and instead looked to the part of the courtyard where the riders were just dismounting...and at just that moment, the Princess arrived from inside the castle.

'She's been waiting for them,' he thought, as he watched her greeting the English Priests while her servant bowed to her and took the horses to the stables. 'God damn her!'

"Holy fathers, I summoned you here for I need your help in a most awkward and damnable situation," she said to the four Priests in front of her, with the Captain listening.

"Indeed, so it seems," the oldest and apparent leader of the four, with a grey line of hair around his otherwise baldhead, said angrily. "I had heard that some of these beasts roam freely in this wild country, but _this_!"

With a wild gesture of his hand he pointed to the sky where two hatchlings, one female with red skin and long blonde hair, and her rookery brother who was pale brown with two small horns, were gliding around and chasing each other. On the wall-walk there were several Gargoyles of various ages watching them.

"And this is just the surface," Katherine said with grim determination. "Let me tell you what I'm forced to endure..."

The Captain closed his eyes briefly, as he listened to her complaints. What had been his, King Kenneth and the late Prince Malcolm's worst fear was now coming true. If the Church were to find out about Wyvern's new Prince, it could lead to…

Suddenly, when he opened his eyes again, he noticed something rather important about these visiting Priests.

The apparent leader of these Priests was an aged and, judging by his speech, learned man. Something that the Captain would have expected of such a man sent by the Church to be their emissary.

The other three Priests, however, were all of a much younger age. None of them could have been beyond their late teens.

This told him that these Priests were obviously not high in their Clergy, and the Church would never send mere boys to do something as important as diplomatic work. They would send only their most experienced.

It was most likely that these visitors were just lowly Priests sent to travel the Scottish roads, to spread _The Word_ as it were. It must have been just a case of extraordinary bad luck that their path had brought them to Wyvern's doors.

Discovering this, the Captain gained hope. If the Church hadn't in fact sent these men, and the Church was still ignorant of Princess Katherine and Goliath's wedding, then there was still hope to salvage this.

Looking around, he discovered the Magus, holding the Grimorum close to himself as always, watching the scene at roughly the same distance from the priests that he maintained, on the other side of the Courtyard, having a satisfied look on his face.

"This was your planning then," he growled, as he walked over to the sorcerer.

"No, it was the Princess's," the Magus admitted, looking at the soldier with triumph in his eyes. "And it was a good idea it seems."

"Don't be too sure of that," the older man said, though it was more to himself, as he watched the scene unfold in the courtyard.

Just then a large shadow passed over the two of them and soared down to the middle of the courtyard where the Princess and Priests now stood. The Captain didn't need to look up or be told whom it was.

The Gargoyle in question landed right beside the Princess, making everyone give way.

The Priests backed away in fear of the huge Gargoyle now in their midst. For one insane moment they thought the devil had risen from Hell to engulf them. They had rarely seen any Gargoyles on their travels, and certainly not one of this stature.

"I am Goliath," the Gargoyle said politely, "Prince and Regent of this castle and all its subjects. Whom can I hold welcome?"

The Humans surrounding him stayed silent for a moment, giving the Princess time to gloat, the Priests kept silent both out of fear and partly out of surprise that this beast could speak.

"You are _married_ to her?" the older Priest asked, pointing a finger on the Gargoyle while his younger companions stood behind him. "And you dare to rule above Humans? What on earth gives you the right?"

Goliath looked at his wife for a moment, noticing her look of angry triumph, before looking back at the Priests.

"The late Prince of this castle ordered our marriage in his last will and testament," the large Gargoyle explained, though with a more cautious voice. "His brother the King affirmed it, as did the Church."

This caused Katherine to intervene.

"The Church followed my uncle's unwise wishes," she added. "But they did not know I was to marry a Gargoyle and…the _marriage_ was sealed by a former friend of my father in the Church."

"I see," the near bald Priest said calmly at first, but the look on his face was nowhere near calm. "I will personally intervene by informing _my_ King of this situation! Such an unholy union to have taken place is a perversion against not only both our countries, but against the Holy Bible itself! The fact that your uncle and King took part in this blasphemy is beyond words! Therefore both he and all who took part in this is will be excommunicated!"

"At once!" one of the younger Priests added, eager to say something on this matter.

This caused the Princess to lose the look of gloating on her face. Indeed she looked shocked at what the Priest had just said.

"The King was misguided, yes," she said quickly, pointing at the Captain across the courtyard and at Goliath. "But it was these two here who obtained my father's trust by..."

"You will be excommunicated, too," the older Priest noted.

"What?" the Princess shouted, offended as her arm dropped. "I was forced to marry him against my will!"

"You could have resisted," the Priest replied, looking hard on her. "Many past martyrs have died for lesser reasons. Did not our Lord Jesus Christ sacrifice himself for our sins?"

She stared at him unbelieving, while Goliath turned to look angrily on her.

"See what you have brought upon us?" the Captain scolded the Magus meanwhile. "Did it ever occur to you that should the Church ever find out about the Princess' marriage, they would excommunicate not only she, but her uncle the King as well, for allowing it to happen in the first place?"

"I...I…" the Magus stuttered. "YOU and the others were the ones responsible for this happening! YOU forced her to marry!"

The Captain shook his head angrily. "It matters not who is to blame now! Whether you like it or not, the Princess is now married to Goliath, a Gargoyle warrior. If the English Church were ever to learn of this, they wouldn't care who started it, they would only see it, as you yourself just heard, as a blasphemous act against God! Anyone and everyone who was involved, including the Princess, would be disowned from the Church, ridiculed as a sinner and an insult to God, perhaps even burnt at the stake! And that's only what will happen to Katherine!"

The Magus gulped.

"If the Church discovered that his Majesty King Kenneth was involved, and that not only did he not stop it, but encouraged it," the Captain continued. "Then being cast off from the Church would only be the start! That would be the only reason the English would need to wage war upon us! Our whole country could be in danger now because of you and that dumb brat!"

The Magus stood there aghast, his mind processing all that the Captain had just said to him, and after quickly going through all the facts he knew the old soldier was right. The truth had been there all the time, but he had just been so blind in his love and loyalty to Katherine that he hadn't allowed himself to see the flaw in her plan.

Helplessly, he was forced to watch as the Priest further insulted his Princess. Goliath was at her side, but he said nothing to contradict the old Priest. This was most likely because he too was furious at her for going behind his back, and for bringing this damnation upon them all.

What had supposed to be a chance for a better life for him and his clan was now turning into possible war for them and the whole of Scotland.

"Maybe Brother Edmund could talk to them?" he suggested. "He is English, like they are."

The Captain snorted. "Doubtful. Have you heard what they're saying? I doubt the word of a Monk who's lived for years with things they think of as demons, will change their minds. Besides, have you forgotten when those priests from years ago came to take him back to England? These ones sound as bad as they were."

Years ago, Monks from Brother Edmund's homeland had come to Wyvern, demanding his return, as they weren't too thrilled with him living in a castle full of Gargoyles. Although he had been forced to go with them, he had returned several months later.

'If I just could just go back and make all this undone...' the Magus thought, and a sudden realisation made his head rise and stare directly into the Captain's face.

"There might be a way out of this," he explained silently, giving the Princess a worried glance. "But I need you to do something for me first."

The Captain looked at him sceptically, while some metres away the situation seemed to escalate.

"I'm not in line with this devil!" Katherine shouted angrily. "I don't even want him anywhere near me!"

"Nor I her," Goliath replied, irritated.

His wife glared at him before turning back to the Priests, while the Captain silently approached the Gargoyle.

"_Goliath_," he whispered to him urgently. "_I have just spoken to_ _the Magus. He now knows the seriousness of this situation and wishes to help. He claims he knows a spell that will undo this night's fiasco, but he needs to speak with both the Princess and the Priests for this. So let the Priests be my problem for the moment, and let him talk with Katherine alone._"

Goliath looked behind him at the Magus who was busy searching through the Grimorum, then back at the Captain and nodded.

"This sin is for certain merely the first of many in this Kingdom," the older Priest began. "Long investigations will be needed…"

"For sure," the Captain agreed out loud, stepping closer to the Priest. "And we need them right now, for there is much more sin in this castle."

The Priest looked surprised at the thick man, probably noticing him for the first time.

"More than this?" he asked.

"I fear even deeper ones," the Captain lied, holding little respect for the Church, this Priest in particular.

The elder Priest looked at the Princess, interpreting her look as one of total surprise and of guilt.

"Very well then," he agreed. "We will see what part of Hell this place has become."

With a respectful looking Captain leading the way, all four Priests entered the castle.

"What have you two planned?" the Princess demanded to know of Goliath, but the Gargoyle just turned and left to go up to the battlements, leaving the Magus to approach her.

"Magus?" she demanded. "Tell me what is happening here at once."

"My..." he began hesitantly until he was sure that Goliath was out of ear reach and no one else of the people was close enough. "My Princess, it was my idea."

"Your idea?" she asked him. "What idea?"

The Magus explained. "I will cast a spell to make the Priests forget," he said, meeting her eyes. "It will open their minds to my words, allow me to make them believe whatever I wish them to, and I will make them believe that you have a normal _Human_ noble as a husband."

She stumbled a bit by these words.

"But..." she began and stopped. "But, Magus, if you can do this then you can make them believe, make them see that it is the beast's fault and not my uncle's, you could..."

She stopped when she saw the Magus shaking his head.

"Even if I did do that, it would make no difference," the Magus said sadly. "You heard the Priests for yourself, Princess. They care not who forced you into this terrible predicament. They care only that both you and your uncle went along with it, however unwilling you were, and thereby committing what they believe to be a great sin against their lord and God. This will give their countrymen all the reason they need to declare war."

Katherine felt all the fight go out of her, as she realised that in her desperation to be free of her marriage, she hadn't wanted to see that there was no way she could have achieved it this way.

"I have already made a bargain with the Captain and Goliath," he tried to explain, for once using Goliath's name instead of just referring to him as _The Beast_, looking away and holding the Grimorum tightly.

"So you conspire with them against me," she replied, cold and angry.

"NO!" the Magus nearly shouted on her. "Never! I will always be on your side. It is just...just...I love you." He said the last part in nearly a whisper, but not so low that Katherine did not hear it.

She looked on her most valued advisor, who was also her closest friend, feeling as if a lightning bolt had struck her.

"Magus, I..." she began.

"It is all right, my Princess," he said, not waiting for any further words and quickly opened the Grimorum to the right page, not daring to look at the Princess's face any longer. "Tonight was a mistake, but thankfully it is one I can rectify."

That being said, he made one final check around the courtyard, ensuring that they were momentarily alone, and then raised one hand.

"_Omnis conspecti, omnis auditi, memoro et dediscere aput meus imperium!" _the spell was cast. "_All who see this, all who hear this, remember and forget at my command!"_

The Grimorum suddenly seemed to glow, and blue lightening flooded in the night sky, lasting only for a few moments. Many of the castle's inhabitants inside raised their heads in surprise, expecting an oncoming storm, but when they went to look they saw nothing but a cloudless sky.

"Wh…" the Princess stuttered, while at the same time stumbling a bit and holding her head.

The Magus rushed to her side, looking in her eyes, but saw only confusion in them.

"You..." he began. "…You will remember nothing of the visiting Priests, or ever hearing anything about them. You wanted to come out tonight for a short walk since the night was clear and calm."

Her eyes remained confused for a short moment, but then they seemed to clear, as realisation came into them. "Oh yes, yes," she agreed, smiling a little. "It is a nice night, indeed."

"You had better go in now," he added.

"You are right," she agreed once again, giving the Magus a smile before turning to leave for the castle doors.

Just as she was halfway inside, she stopped and turned back around to look at the Magus who had just begun to look at the sky.

"Magus?" she said.

"Yes?" he answered, surprised.

"I wanted to tell you that you are a great advisor and an even better friend," she explained. "It is good to have you around in times as troublesome as these."

He smiled. "Always, My Princess."

He watched her leave, staring for a long time at the door where she had entered the castle, and held the Grimorum close to his heart as though for comfort, to prevent it from shattering.

After a while, the Captain arrived in the courtyard with the Priests following him.

"And this is, of course, the courtyard," he told them. From the looks on the Priest' faces, it was obvious they had not enjoyed their tour all too well.

"Fascinating..." the elder Priest replied, sounding bored. "Well, now that our time has effectively been wasted, perhaps you would care to…"

"I shall take over from here," the Magus explained, stepping in. "Captain, you had better go see that your guards are all at their posts."

The Captain just nodded and left, leaving him alone with the Priests.

"Was that lightning I saw just recently?" one of the younger Priests asked, looking up at the sky. "Strange that there's no clouds in the sky."

"I believe I can explain that," the Magus said, and once again opened the Grimorum, after making another quick check around the still empty courtyard, now that the Captain had gone.

"What are…?" the elder Priest began, perplexed.

"_Omnis conspecti, omnis auditi, memoro et dediscere aput meus imperium!" _he quickly repeated the spell, casting it once more.

The same lightning as before reigned across the sky, but soon was gone. When it had vanished, the Priests all stood where they were, their faces as blank as their minds.

"You will remember nothing of seeing or even hearing about any of the Gargoyles here," he began, giving one servant, who had just then come outside to investigate the lightning, a silent order to bring the horses around. "You were travelling, and stopped here to replenish yourselves. You met the Prince who was a kind _man_."

"Yes," the near bald Priest agreed, speaking slowly. "Indeed."

"There will be no need for you to say anything about him when you leave," the Magus continued. "But if you are asked, you will just say what a good and noble Prince he is."

"For certain we will," all the Priests simultaneously said, while in the background the servant approached with the Priest's horses.

"Then I wish you all a good journey," he concluded, handing the horse's reigns over to them. "It was nice here, but you will find no need to ever return or send others here."

"Naturally not," the older Priest agreed once more, climbing onto his horse. "God be with you."

"And with you," he replied, as he watched the Priests leave through the Castle's open gate, leaving confused guards behind them.

He watched them ride away for a while longer until he turned around and returned to the Castle, the Grimorum close to him, heading for his chamber...alone.

0000000000

"It is done," the Captain reported, as he approached Goliath and his Mentor.

The three of them all gave out a huge sigh of relief.

"You are certain they will have no memory of tonight?" Goliath asked, concerned.

He nodded. "One thing you can count on from the Magus is his accuracy with spell-casting. If he says they won't, then they won't."

"Can we _trust_ him, though?" the elder said unsurely. "I mean, he was the one who helped the Princess pull all this off in the first place."

"Don't worry. He won't try anything like that again."

"I agree," Goliath concurred. "The Magus didn't fully understand the consequences of his actions until it was almost too late. He now knows what would happen if people beyond Wyvern were to learn about Katherine and me. He may be a fool sometimes, but he would never do anything that would risk war or bring harm to her."

The others nodded in agreement.

"What shall we do about the lass, though?" his Mentor then asked.

"What can we do?" the Captain noted. "Her memory's been wiped now, so even if we did punish her, she wouldn't remember what it was she was being punished for."

"Agreed," Goliath added. "So we will all just forget about it. However, I do believe we should keep a closer eye on Katherine from now on. It seems her hatred and determination to be rid of me is even stronger than I first realised."

The former Gargoyle leader and the Captain nodded.

"Possible war, Katherine's never-ending ranting, over-preaching Priests," the Captain moaned. "With everything that's going on, it makes ye wonder what's going to happen next?"

0000000000

**Meanwhile; Elsewhere: **

Iago glided across the land, far from Wyvern, heading towards the place where the split off clan made their home. He had told the clan that he was going out hunting, and would be gone for most if not all of the night. Since hardly any of the clan cared what he did, they had taken his excuse and left him be. This worked in his favour, as the journey to the second clan, as well as the journey back, was long and would most likely take up most of the night.

He had been planning this trip ever since it had begun to appear that Goliath's mate-ship to the Princess was, surprisingly, starting to work. The muscle-head had finally grown some backbone, put the Princess in her place and was starting to make life bearable for the clan.

Although this was a good thing for the clan, it put a wrench in his plans. Those who had once agreed with him were now siding with Goliath, ensuring his continued place as the clan's leader. But Iago wasn't finished just yet.

Over the last generation, his clan had increased in size so much that the castle could no longer support all of them. Not to mention, the humans could no longer tolerate so many of them running around the place. Princess Katherine had more or less demanded that some of them leave, but for once it was an order that his clan agreed with. The castle was simply too small for all their clan and the humans to live in, so it was agreed that some of them, from various generations, would leave to establish a new clan together.

During his banishment, he had, for a time, sought refuge with the split clan. Since they were now a separate clan all on their own, it was not against their law to take him in, even if he was banished. He would not go so far as to say he was a friend with any of them, but that they had most likely just pitied him for his exile, as it was unnatural for a Gargoyle to be alone.

Among the split clan, he had become quite familiar with the leaders, whom he had known back when they had been part of Wyvern. Again, they weren't exactly his friends, but they weren't his rivals either. The main reason for this was because he hadn't been close to any of them back in Wyvern, as they had been from the generation before his.

The clan had, thankfully, not moved since he had last been with them. They had made their home in a large cavern hidden deep within a huge hill. He soon reached the cave's entrance, and found some of the Gargoyles seemingly waiting for him.

There were six of them, as well as two watchdogs. One of the beasts closely resembled a younger one who was still at Wyvern, and was often at the side of the clan's Mentor. The skin of the older male, however, was red instead of blue. The other beast was the first one's mate, with four horns, a long pointed nuzzle and a long tail. Her skin was blue, just like the male at Wyvern, which would have suggested that they were the younger male's parents, if Gargoyles cared to follow bloodlines.

As for the Gargoyles, the first among them was the leader, a large and burly male. He was a powerful looking Gargoyle with a ruddy-brownish colouring, no hair and two large horns on either side of his head. Iago remembered him being a fierce fighter. One of the other Gargoyles was his mate, a small web-winged female from his rookery with black hair and a soft red colouring. She was also his Second, and the two rarely left each other's company.

The next one was Iago's own rookery brother, a dull tan-coloured Gargoyle with a beak and some facial hair. He was very similar in appearance to the red Gargoyle of the trio, except that he had only one claw at the apex of each wing. In addition to the usual loincloth, he also wore a low cut tunic with a single shoulder strap, both of which were blue.

The fourth one was from the trio's generation. He was an odd looking red Gargoyle with a very long, beak-like nose, but with a much smaller and more humanoid lower jaw. Iago remembered him being fond of fighting with a spear.

The last two Gargoyles were a male and female, both of them mere youngsters, hatched from the very last rookery, about eight years old in human terms. The male was small with green skin, like the web-winged one of the trio, very simple wings, a small beak, two horns and no hair. The female had tan skin and white hair, a small crest with points down the centre of her head, and wings with two digits at the apex. She wore a simple blue dress, and looked at her older brother curiously.

"Brother!" the leader greeted him warmly, grasping his claw in the traditional warrior's handshake. "What brings you way out here?"

Iago smiled. "I've come to ask for your assistance on a most grave matter, my friend," he replied. "Mayhap we could speak in private?"

The leader gave him a short look, but nodded and indicated for the others, save his mate, to leave.

The two teenagers nodded, and waved at their younger brother and sister to follow them into the cave, both of them protesting loudly.

The hatchlings were unlikely to be of any help to him, Iago thought, but the two older ones might be…if their leader agreed.

"Now what's this all about then?" the leader said, crossing his arms and looking at him, while his mate just watched in interest.

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"A human?" the leader exclaimed in surprise. His mate was likewise shocked.

"The little Princess?" she asked. "Goliath mated with her?"

Iago shrugged. "Well, yes and no. By human terms, although they are official mates, I don't believe that they have yet consummated their mate-ship."

The larger male frowned. "How can you become mates if you don't consummate the bonding?"

Again, he shrugged. "Human rules," he said simply, letting this be his only answer.

"And how is it working out so far?" the web-winged female asked.

"Terribly I have to say," he explained with false sincerity. "Although I have the deepest respect for my leader and rookery brother, I can only say that he has handled this whole situation most dreadfully."

"How so?"

"To begin, he kept the arrangement of his marriage to Princess Katherine a secret, even to his own clan. Literally, none of us knew his intentions until the night when he announced them to the Princess herself."

"Well, that isn't such a big surprise," the leader said. "He clearly didn't want anyone who could stop the marriage to find out about it. Hell, I probably would've done the same thing myself."

Iago frowned. "Perhaps, but nevertheless there are many in the clan who look down on his decision to hold such important information from them. After all, what kind of a clan would we be if we held secrets from one another?"

The two of them had to agree with him on that, as keeping secrets and telling lies was not the Gargoyle Way.

"And if that were not severe enough," he continued. "Goliath's plan has not even worked! He did all this for the sole purpose of bringing our two clans, humans and Gargoyles, closer together. But all it has done is drive the wedge between us even farther. I have heard that many of the elders frown deeply on their union, and the humans are even worse. Some may even plan to leave the castle altogether."

The Second gasped. "Surely not!"

"I wish I could say otherwise, dear sister," he said slyly. "But for all intents and purposes, Goliath has made a most grievous error, which has led to the clan being split in two and the entire castle close to civil war."

The leader frowned, letting everything his younger brother had told him slowly sink in. "If what you say is true," he asked, "then what can we do?"

He kept his face straight, but inwardly he gave a nasty smile. "The only thing I fear we can do, brother and sister… We must break the union between Goliath and Princess Katherine, once and for all!"

The burly warrior and his mate each cocked their eye-ridges at him in wonder.

"How?" the male asked.

"I can only think of one way for now," he explained. This wasn't true, as he knew of another way, but that idea would not work with their clan, as they lived too far away. "Brother…I must ask you to go forth to Goliath, at your earliest convenience, and tell him that you and those like you…intend to sever all connections to our clan!"

The leader growled, while his mate just stared at Iago.

"Why in the name of the Dragon would we do that?" he demanded.

"Although our clans are now separate, we are still descended from the same one. And despite you leaving us, Goliath still values you all. He would never risk the link between our two clans severed, not even for his so-called marriage."

"Isn't that a little dishonourable?" the Second said hesitantly.

Iago merely waved her off. "For the safety and security of both our clans, we must be willing to get our hands a little dirty, sister."

Her mate frowned, his eyes gazing at Iago keenly "Brother, I understand your misgivings about our brother Goliath and his mate-ship to the Princess…but I believe you maybe reading too much into this. The Goliath I remember was a noble warrior and a smart leader, who would not wander into any situation unprepared."

"You have not seen him since Princess Katherine now has him!" he insisted.

"Be that as it may," he said, "I regret to say I must refuse your suggestion. Although I will admit your tale about Goliath and the Princess does give me cause for worry, I cannot and will not willingly go behind my former leader's back!"

Iago continued to keep his face straight, but beneath that mask, a raging fury was slowly building. "I'm sorry to hear you say that," he said which was probably the only truthful thing he had said all night. "Well, with that being the case, I think it best I be on my way now."

"There's no need to go right away, my brother," the Second offered. "Please, stay a while and rest yourself. You can start your journey home tomorrow."

"Thank you for the offer, but I think not." He turned back to the large warrior, not bothering to give him a warrior's handshake this time.

"I'm sorry if my reply was not to your liking, brother," the leader told him. "But as leader, I cannot risk the safety of my own clan. What you say about Goliath maybe true, but then again it may not. It's not worth risking our ties with Wyvern over. And if Goliath's intentions do turn out for the worst then we will see it through together, but we will not act before then."

"As you say, brother," Iago replied, but said nothing else, as he turned and made his way up the hill, launching himself from the top and gliding away.

"Me thinks he was disappointed in your response," the Second told her mate.

He looked at her. "Do you disagree with my decision?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Definitely not! You did the only thing you could do, and…"

"And?"

She sighed. "To be honest, even if our brother was right in his assumptions about Goliath, which I doubt he is, but even so… The thought of trusting our clan's future with our brother there…disturbs me."

He looked at her curiously. "I never realised you had a problem with him before."

"I don't… At least, not really." She frowned. "I never really had much to do with him, as he was always a bit of loner compared to the others of his rookery. And when he grew up… I don't know. There's just something about him that I don't trust."

"He does tend to give off that impression, doesn't he," he agreed. "But whether or not he was telling the truth tonight, it matters not. Like I told him, we cannot afford to risk severing out ties with our home clan."

"And for that I most grateful," she agreed whole-heartedly.

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Iago was bitterly disappointed that the split clan had decided against him, not that it had been much of a surprise. He knew right from the beginning that it was unlikely they would agree with him, but still… Having them on his side would have helped considerably.

He didn't know for certain whether Goliath would have risked losing contact with the former members of their clan, but even if he did then it would have still caused a large amount of friction in the clan.

"Oh well," he said aloud to himself. "Spilt milk."

He wasn't done yet, as he still had other ideas to get through. Although the clan was starting to side with Goliath, he knew there were still those who had misgivings about the whole thing. He would have to go back to his original idea…to seek out those among his clan who harboured resentment to Goliath's mate-ship to Katherine.

He knew there were many who looked down upon the union, despite recent events, and even more who resented Katherine herself. Some of them had always held a large grudge against the Princess for her treatment of them in the past, so he should have some luck in recruiting there.

He already knew of at least three among the clan who had the greatest misgivings about Goliath, and one of his own rookery brothers who could be easily convinced to join. Brother Edmund referred to him as Javin, and Iago had always found him simple to manipulate.

Smiling, he continued on his long journey back home.

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**One Month Later; Kincardine Castle; **

**Fettercairn/Scotland:**

Lady Finella paced the ground of the Drying House in anxiety.

"Keep calm, my love," her beloved Lord Constantine remarked. "It will all be over _soon_."

Finella nodded, not noticing the dark look upon her lover's face, and took a big breath to calm herself.

"Let me speak to him first," she then told him. "You will be too blunt. I don't want to hurt him."

The door of the Drying House started to slowly open.

Constantine put a finger to his lips to silence her, as he backed up to the wall at the side of the door, unnoticed.

A cloaked figure walked into the room, causing her some alarm, but she then gave a sigh of relief as she realised who it was.

"Oh, Your Highness," she said, bowing before King Kenneth II, son of King Maol Chalvim I, and brother to the late King Duff and Prince Malcolm of Wyvern.

"I came as swiftly as caution would allow," he told her, taking her hands in his. He had long been enamoured with the young beauty of this castle, and had even proposed to her earlier that day.

'Mayhap with any luck,' he thought. 'She has summoned me here to accept.'

"What is it you wish of me?" he asked.

"Your throne!" a new voice spoke up behind him.

Kenneth spun around and saw none other than his own ward, Constantine III, the son of his throne's predecessor, King Culen.

Kenneth and his two brothers, Duff and Malcolm, were the rightful heirs to the throne, but had lost it more than once in their lives. The first time had been when the tyrant Indulf had stolen it by slaying their father, King Maol Chalvim I, only to lose it when Kenneth and Duff had fought back. Indulf had then been banished to Ireland, along with his son Culen, and since Duff had been the eldest, he had inherited the crown in 962 AD.

Alas, he died 4 years later when Indulf and Culen returned, slaying him in the Battle of Gaine in 966 AD. Kenneth and Malcolm had fought together five years later with the Gargoyles of the place that would later be Malcolm's own kingdom, Castle Wyvern, vanquishing the two blackguards once and for all.

Duff had had one son in his life, Prince Kenneth, but who had been but a baby in arms when his father perished, so his uncle Kenneth became king instead until such time when he would be ready to take the throne.

But Culen had also died leaving behind one son…Constantine.

Most kings would have had their enemy's heirs executed right after battle, or at the very least banished, and there had been a time when Kenneth had come close to doing just that. But when the time came for him to deliver the killing blow…he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Constantine had only been a baby at the time of his father's death, like Duff's son and Prince Malcolm before him. It seemed to be a horrific tradition, since the last three princes of Scotland had been brought into the world at the same time that their fathers had been despatched from it. And when Constantine had looked up at him with those, then, wide innocent eyes of his, Kenneth's conscience refused him to complete the deed.

Many in his court had tried to persuade him to remove the former Prince from the land, but Kenneth would not listen to them. He not only spared the boy's life, but also took him in as his own ward.

A decision he was now living to regret.

Constantine came at the old King with a dagger, attempting to strike him down. The two men struggled against one another, Kenneth valiantly trying to knock the blade out of Constantine's hand, but alas the poor old man's strength was no match for the vigorous youth of his opponent.

Finella gasped in shock, as the men fought.

"Aargh!" Kenneth's cried out when Constantine's dagger plunged into his heart, ending his life instantly.

All Finella could do was stand there against the wall, staring in shock. The King lay in a growing pool of his own blood, and her lover standing over his body, looking down in smug satisfaction at his victim.

"No…" she breathed out, and then fell to her knees as the shock faded, and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing her heart out. "No!"

Constantine stayed where he was, still looking down in grim pleasure at his handiwork.

"The King is dead," he said, as if he was announcing it to the world, though no one besides Finella could hear him. He then reached down and removed the crown from Kenneth's head and placed it upon his own.

"Long live the King."

**To Be Continued… **


	5. Chapter 5

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles and Gargoyles comics are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
>No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.<br>All original characters are the property of Storyseeker and Hardwing.**_

_**Here it is, the newly revamped saga! With fresh new/extended and altered scenes! **_

_**Once again, this story was co-written with the great author Hardwing! Many thanks!**_

_**This fic saga is set in an alternate universe, in Wyvern's past, with characters from the Gargoyles comics, the Dark Ages Saga in TGS and some of Hardwing's own characters. It starts off right after the events shown in the show's episode 'Long Way To Morning' in 984 A.D. where the events in that chapter lead to a different conclusion for the clan. It is also set in the same timeline as the show in that era, with two small differences… and that's Goliath didn't get his name until 984 A.D. and the eggs hatched soon in 995 A.D.**_

_**Oh, and in case some people get offended at some of the sexist remarks in this saga… Please remember that it is set in the medieval ages (things were different back then). **_

_**Many thanks to Kimberly Towle for her suggestions, and to the author Aesop for all his proofreading!**_

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**Nightfall; Present; **

**Forests Outside Wyvern:**

Katherine panted, as she ran through the thick forest. The trees' sharp branches ripped off parts of her dress and scratched her exposed skin, making her hiss through her teeth in pain.

Still she pressed on, as the sounds of horses' thundering hooves and blades striking the forest growth continued to echo behind her, followed by the sound of voices in the distance…

"_Find her!"_

"_She can't be too far."_

"_Search that way!" _

"_Do not leave one inch of this forest unturned until you have found her! I want that wench back in my possession before the next minute passes!"_

She gasped for breath, as she struggled to press on, running until she thought her feet would fall off. She was fortunate that the thick growth of this forest had slowed her oppressor's hunt long enough, giving her an able start to run from them.

Eventually, she found her way to a small lake with a waterfall, pausing only ever so briefly for a quick breath, but she had no time. She soon heard them drawing closer, searching for her.

She rushed behind a huge tree, holding her hands to her mouth to stifle the sound of her own breathing.

'Dear God in Heaven,' she prayed. 'Help me.'

As she stood there, praying that the soldiers would never find her, she couldn't help but recognise the place. It was the same lake that Goliath had brought her to months ago.

Looking back, Katherine couldn't help but smile at her own naivety and stupidity that night, when she had thought the worst of Goliath. She also thought back on the rest of that time, and how she came to be in her current predicament…

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**Almost Three Months Earlier;**

**Castle Wyvern:**

"Greetings, brothers!" Iago said warmly, as he approached his siblings on the battlements.

One of his rookery brothers, known to Brother Edmund as Javin, plus one other, and three from the rookery before him, all looked at him sternly, Javin in particular.

"What do you want?" he asked, dispensing with the pleasantries. He and Iago had a bit of a history. Years ago, when they had been but youngsters, Iago had tricked him into starting a fight with Goliath, one that had nearly cost Goliath his life at Javin's claws. Although no one had been hurt in the end, it had been most humiliating to Javin, as he had always looked up to Goliath.

Needless to say, Javin and the sly brother of his rookery had never reconciled. Not that he and Iago had ever had what could be called a brotherly relationship to begin with.

Iago simply shrugged. "Does a Gargoyle need an excuse to say hello or want to spend some time with his brothers?"

"Only when there is something in it for you," one of the older Gargoyles, a black skinned one with fin-like ears and large muscles, replied.

Iago gave him a thin look, but quickly overcame himself, giving his brothers a pleasant smile. "I realise that I have made some mistakes in my past, brothers. But I have paid for those mistakes, so surely it is time for us to bury the past and begin anew?"

Javin clearly did not think so by the look in his eyes, but his older brothers were all looking at each other uncertainly. Even his other rookery brother, the one who looked like the red one of the Trio, but with a beard, seemed to be considering it. Iago had paid for his crimes, so continuing to live in the past was senseless.

"When a Gargoyle returns, we are meant to forgive and forget," a lean clouded-white Gargoyle with four long horns on his head said.

"Justice has been served," the black-skinned one added. "It would be unfair to continue punishing him now that his sentence is complete."

"The past is past," a massive dark-brown one with bull-like horns and a large gut, though nowhere near as big as the aqua one of the Trio, said. "The only ones to continue talking about the past are storytellers."

His size, colouring and horns gave him the appearance of a bull, and even Brother Edmund had given him the name Minos, from the Greek king who imprisoned the Minotaur in the Labyrinth, in his journals.

The others agreed with him, and even Javin had to bow to their logic…though he would never come to regard Iago as a friend.

The beaked one with the beard sighed. "Very well, _brother_," he said, seemingly friendly, though he said the word _brother_ with some apparent difficulty. "So tell us, what brings you here?"

He shrugged. "Pure interest, nothing more," he answered honestly, which for once he was. "I was curious if you had heard what had become of our leader's mate a few nights ago?"

The clouded one gave a loud booming laughter. "How could we not?" he said truthfully. "We watched the lass as she was tossed all about the air."

Iago nodded. "Indeed. Tell me, what did you think about the situation?"

"What do you mean?" the black skinned one asked suspiciously.

"What I mean is do you think the youngsters should have treated the Princess so?"

The first one shrugged. "Maybe not in the way they did," he admitted. "I mean, we've all played the game they did loads of times when we were hatchlings, but perhaps it would have been wiser if they had _asked_ the Princess first before throwing her about like a hot potato."

"Ah, so you agree Goliath was right to punish the youngsters for manhandling the Princess?"

Javin shrugged. "It's only some extra chores for them to do for a while. Nothing that will kill them."

"Perhaps, but…considering what the Princess did to them, don't you think they had some right to gain some payback on her?"

"_Did_ to them?" the black one asked.

Iago quickly explained to them the events of that night, of Katherine's insult to the four youngsters after they had merely been friendly towards her. When he was finished, nearly all of his brothers had angry expressions on their faces, their eyes close to flaring.

"Why that good for nothing spoilt brat!" Minos snarled.

"And to think I thought she was starting to come round!" the clouded one added.

Iago shook his head, seemingly sad. "I fear nothing will ever bring the Princess around. She is so set in her ways that I imagine Goliath's words of wisdom to her are like banging his head against a stone wall."

Javin had to admit that his brother was right about that. The Princess was a stubborn one all right.

The dark one snorted. "She's always been bull-headed…" he said, and then hastily added to his brown-skinned sibling. "No offence, brother!"

The brown one snarled a little, but seemed to accept his apology, as he calmed down. "I don't blame the young ones for acting so, then. Hell, I would have probably done the exact same thing."

That sentiment was shared by nearly all of them, particularly the other two of his generation. In their youth, they had been the Trio of their day, but with the Four's love for jokes and wild nights.

That was, of course, part of the reason why Iago had sought them out in the first place. They had matured a lot over the years, but were also known to have what humans would call a short fuse. In all the clan, they were amongst the ones who had had it hardest when dealing with the humans. On many occasions, Goliath had had to step in and stop them from almost attacking guards who had been insulting their race.

"The Princess has been this way for years though," the clouded one offered. "It would be hard for any of us to change our natures after we've lived so long with it. Remember when she was a child?"

Minos snorted. "Are you kidding? I remember when she once shouted at me to _remove myself from her royal presence_! The girl's nothing but a spoilt ungrateful brat!"

Most of them couldn't help but chuckle, as they recalled Katherine having done that when she and Minos had almost bumped into each other when she was just a child of eight. When she did, Minos had been but one second away from throwing her over his knee and tanning her hide. Fortunately, Goliath had been there and had convinced him to pay her no heed. This wasn't exactly in Minos's nature, but he made certain to keep as far away from her as possible thereafter.

Minos was the one in their group with the worst temper, and it didn't take much to light the fuse to it. Only his mate seemed to be able to calm him.

"I fear this could also mean trouble for our clan yet again," Iago then added.

Javin looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've all seen for yourselves how Goliath tries to get through to the Princess. Night after night he tries to open her eyes to the truth about our race, yet every night she shuts them even tighter."

The black one shrugged. "So what's that got to do with anything? Goliath is now monarch of this castle, Gargoyles and humans alike, so it isn't like she could do very much to us now."

"Ah, but what if the Princess starts having her way again?" Iago said warningly.

Minos frowned. "What do you mean?"

Iago suddenly looked insecure, as though he were harbouring a dark secret. "I have been observing Goliath and the Princess together lately, and…I fear she may once again be getting him under her thumb again."

"How so?"

He scoffed. "You know what our leader is like! He has always valued the treaty with the humans above all else, and that includes his relationship with the Princess. Remember what he was like with her when they first became mated?"

"Yes, but he soon overcame that," Javin reminded him.

"Got that right!" Minos declared proudly. "Don't know what he told her, but he certainly grew himself a pair of…"

"Brother!" the black one said hurriedly, halting his sibling's sentence.

"Go on," Javin asked Iago.

"Well," he continued. "Like you just said, when Goliath finally stood up to the royal whelp, our lives were finally starting to improve around the castle. But now…"

"Now what?"

Iago sighed. "After the young ones joke, I fear our leader may soon revert back to his prior submissive state."

"Why ever would you think that?" Minos stated, seemingly in outrage.

"Why do you think? You've all just admitted how Goliath nearly always valued the treaty with the humans above all else. And everyone knows how he often let the Princess get away with practically everything before he finally grew a spine. But after the youngsters frightened her so much, do you really expect Goliath to continue his firm attitude with her?"

Most of them wanted to say, "yes"…yet they hesitated.

"We have to face facts, my brothers," he said sadly. "Goliath maybe a superb warrior, fierce on the battlefield, and a devoted leader to our clan…but he also has a bit of a soft heart when it comes to dealing with the humans, as well as to someone who plays the damsel in distress. So what do you think he will do with the Princess acting as scared and tearful as she was?"

His five clan-brothers all remained silent, making Iago want to crack a smile.

"You believe the Princess will use tonight as an opportunity to try and re-establish her control over Goliath?" the black skinned one deduced.

"That would be the most logical conclusion," Iago replied, almost regretfully.

"Goliath would never let himself be used as a patsy again!" Javin declared.

"Not even if it meant securing the peace or righting what he thinks of as a wrong?" the clouded one asked him. "The Princess was _technically_ wronged, and if she seemed as upset as I imagine she would do, after the young ones' prank, Goliath might take it upon himself to try and make things up with her."

"No matter what the cost to the rest of us," the dark one finished.

Minos's eyes flashed. "Why the sneaky, no-good…!"

"Brother!" the black one tried to hush him, but this time Minos would not be silenced.

"If she thinks I'm going to go back to kissing the floor every time she walks in the room then she's got another thing coming!" he snarled. "It was humiliating enough the way Goliath bent over backwards for her, but if he does it again then I'm…!"

"BROTHER!" Javin roared, yelling at his sibling to be silent, which he thankfully did, just long enough for Javin to say, "You…are right."

Everyone looked at him incredulously, including Iago. Out of all of them, Javin had been the last person he would ever expect to hear speak those words.

"We can't allow the Princess to once again manipulate and control our leader," he said determinedly. "It would put our clan in danger, and downright humiliate him!"

Javin had always looked up to Goliath, ever since they were young hatchlings, and not even the long thread of time had thinned the worship he had of his hero. Iago could only guess what it must have been like for him to stand by and watch as his hero had been treated like dirt and controlled like a dog.

"So what do we do about it then?" Minos declared. "Personally, I'm all for following the youngster's example, by gliding her up high and tossing her about like a hot coal."

"What good will that do except to further her fear of us?" the clouded one said. "Goliath will want to please her even more after that."

The others all nodded grudgingly.

"Then perhaps what we need to do is ensure that Katherine's hatred of us actually increases," Iago suggested.

Everyone looked at him. "What do you mean?" they all asked, frowning.

He explained. "Goliath will undoubtedly do anything to try and please Katherine after what happened tonight, but if he were to continue seeing how she acts around us, what with her vile temper and all, then he will lose any feelings of regret he might have once had."

"And how exactly do we do that?" the black one enquired curiously.

"Simple," he replied, grinning. "We merely…_stir_ things up a little between the mated couple."

"_Stir_ things up?"

"Yes. A little lie here, a story there about what Goliath might have planned for Katherine, and she will never trust anything he says. Better yet, her fear and mistrust will undoubtedly cause her anger to overflow, and Goliath will witness firsthand her true hatred for our kind."

"How will that help us?" Javin asked, his eyes full of confusion.

Iago sighed. "Because…" he explained again, speaking slowly as though talking to a hatchling. "For the moment, Goliath is too blinded by his eagerness to help Katherine, so trying to convince him of her true intentions would be fruitless. Our only chance is to show him her true face by getting her mad enough at those of our clan."

"Sounds clear enough," Minos agreed. "So why don't we just do what the young ones did and glide her Royal shrillness up to the clouds?"

"No, that is the one thing we mustn't do!" Iago hurriedly added. "If we were to follow the young one's example, Goliath would just blame us for the Princess's turmoil, thus change nothing. No, the only way we can bring the Princess's temper to the surface is by working from the shadows…"

"Something you know all about," Javin muttered quietly.

If his sly brother heard him then he didn't show it, as he continued…

"If, for example, one of us would suggest to Goliath to take Katherine on an outing where the two of them could talk alone, while at the same time convince Katherine that Goliath intended to take her somewhere alone where he planned to make romantic advances to her…Katherine would be hysterical, while Goliath would forever remain clueless."

"Goliath would never try any such thing!" Javin said angrily.

Iago snarled below his breath. "It doesn't matter what he would or wouldn't do, brother, but what Katherine _thinks_ he will do! The more she believes of our brother's supposed actions, the larger the chance she will say or do something to convince Goliath of her hatred toward us."

Minos shrugged. "I still prefer my idea, but…this sounds plausible."

"Agreed," Javin said, nodding. "How do we go about it?"

Iago smiled. "Leave that to me."

0000000000

**Few Weeks Later: **

Katherine walked the stone paths of the battlements, giving a small nod of acknowledgement to the guards as she passed them, sighing in boredom.

Since Goliath had usurped all her Royal duties, and because he had, thankfully, taken her one duty of beast-keeping and given it to those barbarian youths that had attacked her nearly a month ago, as punishment, she had been left with literally nothing to do.

Goliath had made some suggestions of other duties she could take part in, but she refused to listen to any of them. She was still fuming over the young savages.

She knew Goliath had punished them, something she was still puzzled over. Why would he punish anyone from his own clan when he no longer had to prove anything to her, now that he had her throne?

She was still asking herself that same question after almost a full moon, but still she had no answer.

'Still,' she thought. 'They have no doubt finished their sentences long before now. Most likely they only had to do a single night, if not an hour, of standing in that stupid Rookery of theirs.'

She frowned, as she came to the stone-steps and started walking back down them to the courtyard. As she neared the foot of them, she overheard the unmistakable voices of none other than the savage brutes in question.

"_I'm telling you, this has gone far beyond mere punishment. Now it's just plain cruelty!"_ the voice of the one with the shark-finned head spoke.

"_Oh, give it a rest, will ye?"_ the voice of the one, she believed, was the smoke-black one with the short beak.

"_What are you lot complaining for?"_ a tired voice, one that she couldn't remember whom it belonged to, said. "_You were the ones who got us all into this mess in the first place, don't forget!" _

"_I don't recall you protesting too much at the time when we were doing it!" _

"_Me neither." _

_"If I had known we were going to spend all these weeks scrubbing the stables, walking the hounds, gathering firewood, sharpening everyone's weapons, the cooking… Well, actually I enjoy the cooking…"_

Katherine recognised the last voice instantly as belonging to the large fish-like Gargoyle with the aquamarine skin, making her shrink back a little.

"_You would!"_ another moaned.

"_Oh, quit complaining and let's get going!"_ the tired voice spoke again. "_We still have a load of chores to get through tonight, and if we want to finish them before daybreak then we'd better hurry." _

A chorus of moans arose, followed by the sound of clawed-footsteps as they walked dejectedly away.

"_I still say we have served our time more than long enough,"_ one of them grumbled.

"_Not according to Goliath we haven't." _

Katherine moved all the way down to the bottom of the stairs and looked around, sure enough seeing the group of seven Gargoyles who had assaulted her, making their way over to the stables, armed with buckets and broomsticks.

"They are still serving their punishment time?" she asked out loud in wonder. "But it has been nearly a whole moon now." Not even her own father had given her a punishment lasting any longer than one night. And she couldn't believe Goliath would bring about such a harsh sentence on those of his own kind.

"They will serve it a further several moons if they have to," a deep voice said behind her.

She spun around in shock, grabbing her chest. "Do you always have to keep sneaking up on me like that?" she hissed at her husband.

Goliath shrugged his massive shoulders. "My apologies, Katherine," he said, his apology seemingly genuine though his voice sounded strained. She didn't know why, but for some reason he had been acting rather harsh around her lately, even more so than usual.

The reason was, of course, because she had very nearly given the game away by summoning four English Priests to the castle, hoping they would aid her in divorcing Goliath. As a result, their marriage had been found out, and might have very well led to a war between Scotland and England.

The only reason they weren't being summoned to battle right now was because the Magus, with the Grimorum, had wiped the Priest's memories of the night's events, along with Katherine's. Naturally she didn't remember a thing, but alas, Goliath did, and he was finding it hard to speak calmly with her, considering what she had almost done.

"I saw you from up on the tower," he went on. "I noticed you were taking an unusually long time to come down the steps, and wondered if you were all right. So I glided down just to check. I'm afraid it's a habit of my people."

Katherine fumed, but inwardly she was still a little confused.

She didn't know why she asked, as she kept telling herself that she didn't care, but deep down there was a part of her that just had to know…

"Why are they still being punished?" she asked, even though that was not the real question she had in mind, but it was close enough

He looked at her curiously for a second before answering. "What they did was not only an insult to you, but an insult to our whole clan. They dishonoured themselves, our clan, and all that we stand for."

She scoffed at him. "And just what is it that you do stand for, Gargoyle?"

Goliath thinned his eyes at her. "We _protect_, Katherine," he replied. "That's it… We don't fight unless we have to, and only when it is against those who would wish us or those that we protect harm."

"Pretty words," she remarked. "But tell me, does _all_ your kind believe in them?"

He sighed. "Katherine, I am not saying my kind is any more perfect than yours. Yes, there are probably Gargoyles out there who are just as bad as you have always believed. But they do not speak for the majority of us." He looked closer at her. "Tell me, would you say all _your_ kind are noble beings, dedicated to serving and protecting this land and all its creatures?"

Katherine opened her mouth, but shut it again, as Goliath had her there. She knew from experience that not all Humans were as noble as her family, something that the Archmage and King Culen, her uncle's predecessor on the throne, could attest to.

"Why are the seven brutes serving such a long sentence?" she asked in wonder, changing back to the original subject.

He shrugged again. "Because this punishment isn't just to teach them the error of their ways, it is also to help make them _understand_ the error of their ways as well. Unless they learn from their mistakes, then they could very well repeat them once I let them go."

She screwed her face up a little, not completely convinced.

"Believe me," he continued. "I do not take pleasure in handing out punishment on members of my own clan, but I will do it when the situation calls for it. Those young ones had no right to do what they did, and they're paying the price for it. When we are convinced they have learned their lesson, they will no longer have to do anymore extra chores."

Katherine snorted. "Well, they had it coming… Though I would have thrown them in the dungeon and thrown away the key."

Goliath sighed. "Katherine…no matter what you think or say, these particular Gargoyles are not evil. They never intended you any harm…"

"No harm?" she screeched. "What do you call grabbing me by my arms, taking me up to great heights and throwing me through the air like a rag doll, then? A friendly chat!"

Goliath shook his head, as though tired. "No, I call it youngsters playing a prank and not considering the consequences of their actions, like most children." He stared at her. "They are not evil; they are just young and impetuous. Like most young ones their age, not just in our clan but also in yours, they tend to act first and think later. And you were the one who technically started it all by insulting them earlier in the courtyard."

Katherine pouted, crossing her arms.

Goliath felt like screaming. "If you want to be treated more like the princess of this Castle, Katherine…then I suggest you start acting like one. Or at the very least, _like a grown up_!"

She stared up indignantly at him. "How dare ye!"

"Don't start that with me!" he practically roared at her, his loud voice making her step back. "You are even now behaving like a spoilt child! You relish the thought that the ones who wronged you are being punished, taunting them, and won't even acknowledge the fact that you played some part in it. How exactly is that behaving like a mature adult?"

She glared at him, and he glared back.

"I'm going to my room," she finally said. "Please refrain from going there the rest of the night!"

"With pleasure!" he growled and turned to return to his post on the tower.

Katherine simultaneously made her way back into the Castle, heading towards her own room.

"And just so you know!" his voice shouted back down to her. "Come next week, you will be once more taking up duties along with the clan! So enjoy your free time while you can!"

She hissed back at him and slammed the castle doors behind her.

0000000000

As Goliath marched back up the steps to the battlements to continue with his nightly duties, from the other side of the courtyard Iago stepped out of the shadows.

He had been listening to Goliath and Katherine's _conversation_ with great interest, and had heard every word clearly.

"Perfect," he said aloud, smiling cruelly.

0000000000

**The Next Night:**

"... and she said he is once again after the fisher's niece," one maid said, soaping the Princess's clothes.

"So shortly after the marriage?" the second asked, starching the Princess's green gown. "What a naughty little beggar!"

"Yes, and they have the fruit of their love already," the other voice noted, somehow satisfied.

"Oh that," her fellow maid added. "I heard she eats for three!"

They laughed in union, washing the clothes.

These four maids were the same ones that Katherine had heard gossiping once, unknowingly alerting her to the presence of the English Priests, who she had since forgotten.

These maids were famous for their endless gossiping about the castle inhabitants, both the high and the low. Whether it was members of each of their own families, friends, people they didn't know, or even those of the Royal family, these wash-maids seemed to have made it their ambition to talk behind the backs of all.

"What do you think the Princess and the beas...sorry…_His_ _Highness's_ child would look like?" one of them asked.

"Can they even...you know?" the other replied. "I mean, could something come out of a union between her and..._him_?"

"Who knows?" the first said vaguely. "I heard the cook once say that some of _His Highness's_ kind look more human than the rest of their race because their ancestors once took Human women as their partners."

"Oh, that can't be!" the other exclaimed, lowering the clothes for a moment. "I mean, I would sooner die than _that_!"

"Just what we'd need," another muttered. "A demon infant on the throne. Could you imagine what kind of a Christening that would be?"

"And I had believed a woman would sooner die than to marry one of them," the other replied. "But then our Princess..."

Unbeknownst to them, just a corner away from where they were darning the clothes, the Princess was silently moving away.

She had been coming down to see whether her gown for the evening meal had been cleaned or not, and had overheard the part of this conversation.

This was the second time she had overheard those wretched Harpies gossiping about her and her private life, or at least the second time she could remember, and although she had sworn to punish them if she caught them doing it again…she was too shocked to even think clearly.

Everything had all been forgotten when the thought of having a child with Goliath rose in her mind.

'It cannot be, please say it's not,' she prayed, silently. 'But even if it is, it is his right as my husband...'

It had been her worry on the first night of her marriage, the thought of bearing a child with that oversized monster. She knew there had never been a case of a Human and Gargoyle conceiving a child together. Then again, though, there had never been a case of a Human and Gargoyle ever actually mating either, so who was to say it wasn't possible. For all she knew, Goliath might make her lay a hundred eggs.

She had been terrified of the first night with her newly wedded husband, but Goliath had shown no interest in _this_ aspect, seemingly being content with robbing her of her castle and usurping her throne.

'But what if he isn't content forever?' the Princess thought, walking down some stairs to reach her quarters. 'What if this is just a ruse to lower my guard until such time when he believes I will get used to this idea?

Katherine reached the end of the stairs and walked down the corridor to the door leading into her quarters. As she reached her door, she hesitated for the longest moment before carefully knocking the door and slowly opening it.

Ever since that night of tragic comedy, when she had entered her room while Goliath had been in the midst of a bath, thus seeing him in what she supposed Gargoyles would call his 'hatching suit', she was forever hesitant upon entering her room.

Even now, every time she opened the door she half-expected Goliath to be standing there in the middle of the room, his claws on his hips, laughing as he presented himself to her.

Fortunately for her, Goliath was not there. He must obviously still be busy with castle affairs.

"Affairs that were once mine to worry over," she grumbled, feeling fresh anger at the usurper, happy for the chance to take her mind off the…_other thing_.

She yawned then, stretching her arms out. She had still not gotten used to the late nights and sleeping during the day. If not for the stone-sleep, she would wonder how Gargoyles did it.

Dinner was still a few hours away and she had no new chore-duties. Goliath had yet to assign any to her. That he would not do until next week.

She decided to take a short nap, laying down on the bed and resting her eyes.

0000000000

A few minutes had passed, and the Princess turned around desperately in her bed, as dark thoughts invaded her sleep.

"_What do you think the Princess and His Highness's __**child**__ would look like?"_

"_I mean, could something come out of a union between her and…__**him**__?"_

_"I heard the cook once say that some of his Highness's kind look more human than the rest of their race because their ancestors once took Human women as their partners."_

"_A demon infant on the throne… A demon infant on the throne… A demon infant on the throne…"_

Katherine moaned as she dreamt.

_She woke up in bed and heard shattering glass outside her door._

_"What…?" she moaned, as she got up to investigate, and opened the door. When she did, she had wished she hadn't…_

_She found herself within her own Great Hall, which was now completely filled with Gargoyles. _

_All around her, she saw swarms of little Gargoyles that looked like smaller versions of the present adults in the clan. They laughed, snarled and growled, as they played around the hall, swinging from the chandelier, wrestling and chasing each other. _

_She screamed, as what the Gargoyles called their hatchlings raced around the room, destroying all of her family heirlooms. _

"_Stop it!" she yelled at them. "How dare you come in here! Who gave you permission?" _

_The hatchlings all paused in their activities, staring curiously at her. "You did, Auntie Katherine!" they all said in chorus. _

_She stood and stared at them. "Wha…?" she stuttered. _

"_All right, lads and lassies," a rough voice called out. "Time for your lessons, come along now!" _

_She turned and saw the former leader and Mentor of the clan standing in the doorway, signalling the children to come and follow him. _

"_What is this?" she demanded. "Why are you here?" _

_The elder just shrugged at her. "What any good grandfather would do, playing horsy with his grandchildren." He then got down on all fours and trotted away with a few of the hatchlings on his back, the others excitedly following him. _

_Katherine just stood there stuttering, before she turned and ran to one of the other rooms, calling out for any guards to come and help her._

_What she found, instead, was a castle full of nothing but Gargoyles. _

_Everywhere she went, she found all her usual castle subjects gone, replaced with some of the clan._

_In the chapel, she found the clan's old storyteller telling some more of the hatchlings tales of the clan's past. In the kitchen, she found the large aquamarine youngster cooking at the stove. And in the courtyard, where she would have usually found the Captain instructing his soldiers, she found the Clan-Second instructing his warriors of the clan… Everywhere she went, where she should have found a Human working, she found one of the clan instead. _

"_WHERE IS EVERYONE?" she yelled. _

"_We're all here," the Gargoyles answered her. _

"_NO! Where are the Humans?" _

_The Gargoyles surrounding her just laughed. "Why, they're all gone of course! None of the Humans wanted to remain, so they just packed up and left." _

_Katherine just stood where she was in shock, and then tried running past the crowd of Gargoyles that had gathered from nowhere. _

"_Do you want to come finish the gliding lesson tonight?" the tall green one with the long spikes asked her, as she sped past. _

"_Lass, don't forget your chores!" _

"_The watchdogs need their walk also!" _

_Katherine didn't listen and just continued running until she found herself back at the door to her room. She found her usual bodyguards standing where they usually stood, only now they too were Gargoyles. _

"_Hail to the Princess!" one said, who had now been turned into a pale green-skinned Gargoyle with large tusks for teeth and small wings. _

"_Long live Katherine the Second!" the other added, with blue skin, four wings and exceedingly large talons on his hands and feet. _

_She sped past them, racing into her room and slamming the door behind her. _

_For a moment, all seemed quiet and normal._

_Then…the crying sounded. _

_She turned around and saw a small cradle lying in the centre of the room, the same one that she had once laid in when she had been but a wee babe. _

"_No…" she breathed out. _

"_Returned so soon, My Love," the deep voice of Goliath asked behind her. _

_Katherine spun around and saw the clan-leader lying on her bed in the shadows. _

"_You!" she shouted at him. "You did this! You took my home, my throne and my very dignity from me! Now, you have condemned me to live alone in this God forsaken castle, alone for the rest of my days!" _

_Goliath frowned and stood up. "But you are not alone…I am here with you." _

_It was then that Katherine noticed that he was naked, as he walked toward her, his body just as she remembered from his bath, like the ancient Greek statues of Hercules, only stronger…and **bigger**._

"_KEEP BACK!" she screamed. "YOU WILL NEVER HAVE ME!" _

_He cocked his head. "But, My Love, I have already had you… See?" He pointed to the cradle in the middle of the room, which had even now begun shaking, as something inside it began rolling about, hissing and snarling. _

_She backed up against the wall. "No!"_

_"Yes," Goliath said, beaming as he went over and picked whatever was inside up in his arms. "Come meet our little bundle of joy, and Wyvern's future…a proper little heir!" He turned back the cloth that was draped over the baby's face._

_Katherine screamed when she saw it, as the baby was nothing more than a tiny version of Goliath with no hair, but with just as many fangs._

_The baby looked at her, and smiled a very toothy smile. "Ma-ma!" it hissed._

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Katherine screeched as she woke up, this time for real. She checked all around her room, but sure enough found no cradle or any sign of anything she had just experienced in her nightmare.

"It was just a dream," she said, breathing shallowly. She seemed to be getting a lot of bad dreams lately, and wondered if she had been eating something that didn't agree with her before bed.

"It was only a nightmare," she repeated, "just a bad dream, nothing more…"

A loud knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts.

"W-w-who is it?" she asked, stuttering only slightly.

"It's me, Samuel, Your Highness," one of her guards replied through the door. "Forgive me, but I heard a noise. Are you well?"

"Yes," she told him, sighing as she did. "That noise you heard was just I. We were having a bad dream, nothing more."

"Very well, Your Highness," the guard said, satisfied. "Oh, will you be going down for dinner tonight? Only the time is getting on and the meal will be starting soon."

"Yes, we will be going down shortly, thank you," she replied, and walked over to the commode to freshen up. The dress she was wearing was sufficient for dinner, so all she required was a quick wash.

As she poured some water into her basin, she pushed all thoughts of the dream out of her head. The memories of the Hatchlings, the baby and all her people having abandoned her soon evaporated.

'Just a dream,' she repeated.

Suddenly, she heard a noise from outside her balcony window.

'Damn him,' she thought, thinking it must be Goliath. 'Does he make checks on me whenever I do not show up for dinner now?' She wiped her face and went over to draw back the curtains across her window.

She drew back the curtains, and…

"YEEEEAAARRGHHHHHH!" she screeched, as she found several Gargoyle Hatchlings staring at her through the window glass, Hatchlings almost exactly like the ones in her dream.

She screamed one final time, believing her nightmare to be coming true, and fled through her bedroom door.

The Hatchlings in question stared curiously at the door where she had run through.

"What happened?" one of them asked the others. "Did we scare her?"

"Don't be silly, she's the leader's mate. Leader' mates don't get scared."

"This is all your fault! You were the one who suggested we come up here to spy on her!"

"We weren't spying on her! We were just taking a peek to see where she slept. How was I to know she got that scared easily?"

0000000000

**Half An Hour Later; Great Hall:**

The meal in the Great Hall was as rich as ever, as the inhabitants of the castle began tucking in. Most of the Gargoyles and Humans still seemed to sit on either sides of the Hall, but at least several Humans who had once avoided them were now sitting with the clan, wanting to get to know them better.

At the head of the large table, still a strange sight but one both sides were slowly getting accustomed to, sat the Prince and his wife. The latter was even colder than ever, as Goliath had noticed the last couple of nights, though luckily the Human to his right, one of the Captain's lieutenants, seemed to be finally growing accustomed to him.

It was a sign of success, though the Gargoyle could clearly smell the odour of alcohol on his breath, which was probably the cause of it.

"...so I cut this bandit of Roland's group the whole of his left arm off," the Human said. "Took three of them prisoner from their campsite on the night we fought…" He held out a bottle of the wine he was drinking to his Prince.

Goliath grimaced a little. He didn't wish to be rude, but he had no great desire to drink from the bottle that the Human was holding out to him. It wasn't because he had never had a drink before, but this wine he was being offered was not the usual stock that he was used to.

A whole barrel of it had been sent to the Princess from one of the neighbouring castles, as a gift upon hearing of her wedding. Since Katherine had, needless to say, been less than optimistic about their marriage, she had dismissed most of the wedding gifts, thus giving the wine to the soldiers. They had finally decided to open the barrel tonight.

He didn't know what it was called, but whatever it was, it smelled different from anything he had drunk before. And he had always been taught to be careful when tasting new foods and drinks.

The Captain was far more used to strong drinks than he, so he didn't seem too concerned with it, and appeared to be holding up well. It was the same for the soldiers and even his old Mentor, the only exception being the one whom he was talking to, and that was because he had begun binging on the wine the second they had opened it.

There had been a time once, when he was younger, when he had gone down into the forest with his Rookery brothers, and they had all gotten their first taste of alcohol and made merry. But that was a long time ago, and he had stopped drinking long since then, as he had wanted to make a good impression on his Mentor when trying for the position of Second, and it wouldn't have been inappropriate for a possible new Second to act like a drunken lout.

He also knew what alcohol did to a person, which his former leader could attest to, as he remembered what his Mentor had looked and acted like the night when he had come home after some '_happy time'_ with his Human friend at the local inn.

Goliath shuddered. He still had bad dreams about that, whenever he thought of his Mentor staggering back to the castle. He was only too glad that the former leader had lost consciousness before he took off his loincloth and started singing on the battlements, like some of the youngsters had done when they had had one too many drinks.

Still, it was a sign of success after all these months of trying to reach the Humans, and he didn't want to seem rude in front of his fellow warriors, and just one cup of wine couldn't hurt, could it?

After giving his _comrade_ permission to fill his cup, he cautiously raised it to his lips and took a sip.

"Mmm," he murmured approvedly. The wine was sweet, and tasted like fruits and berries, but with a strong aftertaste that left a small burning sensation in his throat that made him thirst for more, to quench it.

"Good, huh?" the drunken soldier snorted.

Goliath nodded. "Very good," he admitted.

"More?"

He licked his lips, wondering if he should, until finally he just shrugged and held out his cup. "Very well," he agreed, "but just one more."

The soldier said nothing, but merely grinned and filled his cup.

What Goliath did not know, was that this particular brew was far more potent than anything he had tasted ever before.

Meanwhile, Katherine paid no attention to her husband, as he seemed to be drinking himself into a stupor. She kept her back and face straight, listening to the court musicians while she took the odd bite from her dinner-plate.

"Wonderful party, isn't it?" a voice asked.

She looked to her right and saw the sly-looking Gargoyle with the large double horns on his chin. She didn't prefer him anymore than the rest, but at least he didn't eat like there was no tomorrow, like the large Aquamarine one.

He had been the one who had warned her that Goliath was intending to have her bathe with him and the rest of the clan. While Goliath had yet to make such a proposal, she had made her feelings intensely clear that she would not submit to anything he suggested, so maybe her strength of spirit had convinced him to give up that mad idea of his.

She shrugged. "Everyone appears to be enjoying themselves," she admitted begrudgingly.

"I imagine we'll be having more of these celebrations before long."

"How do you mean?"

"Why the eggs of course," he said, smiling. "The time of the hatching is soon approaching. It won't be long before we've all got little hatchlings running around our feet all night."

"How nice," she replied in a dry tone.

"Ah, it is truly a most joyful time for our kind," Iago said, but then he seemed to gain a hint of sadness in his voice. "Though, I'm sorry to say, it may not have the same joy for Goliath."

"What do you mean?"

"Why, because Goliath won't have produced an egg for this rookery," he said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Nearly all of our generation have taken mates and produced eggs, save for a mere few including Goliath."

"I thought Gargoyles considered all of their children their own?" she asked, frowning as she tried to recall all that her father had once told her of the clan's ways.

"Oh, they do," he replied. "But even then, every Gargoyle still wishes to conceive a child of his or her own for the clan. They share that child with the rest of the clan, and theirs with him."

She nodded in understanding, but did not really care much. If the clan had over thirty eggs to raise between them, why waste time worrying about not having one of your own?

"Still," he suddenly said with a slippery tone. "Maybe that will change in time."

She froze. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged. "Well…you and Goliath are mates, are you not? Granted, no Gargoyle has ever had a child with a human before, but then again it isn't as though there have been that many Human-Gargoyle pairing before. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he wasn't at least considering it."

Katherine opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words to.

"Oh, pardon me," he suddenly excused himself. "There are some friends I wish to speak to. Good night to you."

With that, he stood up and departed from the table, heading over to a group of several male Gargoyles talking amongst themselves.

While Katherine tried to digest all that had just been told to her, Goliath had continued to listen to his newfound friend's wartime stories, which became more and more disoriented as he gulped each mouthful of wine down his throat.

"Moressshhhh?" his new friend slurred, holding the bottle to him again.

Goliath blinked, as his vision blurred, but nodded. He held out his cup, which the man shakily filled once again, though not without getting most of the wine on the table as he did so.

Goliath gave a snort of laughter, as the man made a small joke that he hadn't even heard.

"Squiffy?" the man asked, filling his cup yet again, this time without even asking him if he wanted him to.

"Me, squiffy?" he sniggered. "I'm afraid it will take a lot more than just a mere couple of cups to get me or any Gargoyle warrior down!"

Normally this would be true, but this drink was a lot stronger than anything he had tasted before. It was far more lethal than any of the drinks Wyvern had ever housed, and Goliath had not partaken any alcohol in many years, so his body was unaccustomed to it.

He gulped down the contents of his cup in one big swallow, and then held the cup out to his Human friend again. "Fill' er up!"

The man only managed to raise the bottle a mere centimetre before he finally dropped to the floor unconscious. By the time he had finally left the table (or rather when his friends had carried him away) Goliath had consumed more than ten full goblets of wine.

His mind was in a complete haze from all the drink, as he drunkenly turned to his wife and Princess.

"So my lovelyyyyy...wife," he began, his mouth not being able to form the word properly, hiccupping as he did so. "Enjoying the night's festivities?"

"Umm," Katherine started to reply, unsurely. She was still so engrossed with her chat with Iago that she hadn't even noticed that her husband had been drinking.

He picked up his cup, saluting her. "To you, my beloved wife!" Goliath declared, and downed the last of the wine within it. "May we be blessed with many happy years…or in our case…just years!" He laughed out loud at that, gaining a few odd looks from the crowd.

Katherine just continued to look embarrassed. Even the old Mentor was looking at Goliath with something akin to surprise, and anger.

"Sooo…" he started again, his voice still slurring. "Since watching the wee beasties was too exciting...what about taking care of the wee eggs?"

"The eggs?" she asked hesitantly, nervous as Iago's words echoed in her head.

"Yes, our youngest ones, the wee bairns, the Gargoyles yet to be hatched," he replied, laying a bit too much emphasis on it. "I've talked with the Rookery Mothers, the ones who don't have their heads under their tails that is, and they agree... Well, _mostly_ agree on this…"

"But…why…?" Katherine began asking, her voice stuttering a little in fear.

Goliath didn't seem to answer, his mind too hazy and too drunk to comprehend anything being said to him, as he immediately started talking again, seemingly picking up where he had left off.

"They can be a bit stuffy when they want to be," he continued, seemingly talking about the Rookery Mothers. "But just remember…their tails are worse than their bites… No! Sorry, that's their dog…Well, something anyway."

Katherine never thought she'd hear herself thinking this, but she actually preferred Goliath when he was himself, without the effect of drink on his mind.

"You know," he said slowly, shuffling around on his seat, which creaked loudly in protest at his weight. "They tried to talk me out of it…but I don't think so." He grinned at her. "I think it would be good for you to work with our children… Just think… Maybe working with the young will get you thinking about having children of your own someday…" he said, as he patted her hand.

She stared at him in shock, something that her husband didn't notice in his current state.

'He wants to prepare me to carry his child!' the thought raced through her suddenly terrified mind, as Iago's words seemed to boom in her mind.

"I won't go down to that stupid Rookery and help clean a bunch of stupid eggs!" she exclaimed.

Goliath blinked, his mind still terribly dizzy, but he had heard and understood enough… Once again, she had treated him and his kind with contempt, she had rejected every one of his attempts to be friendly, and now… Now she had offended even the very eggs of his clan!

Growling, he rose from his throne, almost knocking the table forward, rising high above the small Princess. This caused her to move back in her seat, afraid, but he didn't give her a chance to run, as he grabbed her by both sides and lifting her high above him.

"Let me down, you barbarian!" Katherine shouted angrily, kicking her legs like mad, trying to kick the lavender giant's stomach, but it was like kicking a stonewall.

Some of the Hall's inhabitants sniggered at the sight, as they watched Goliath holding his mate in front of him, as an angry parent would with his child. He then flipped her over his right shoulder, carrying her as he would a hunted animal.

"PUT ME DOWN!" she demanded, drumming with her fists on Goliath's back, which he hardly noticed… but nevertheless, because of the drink, made him retaliate with a move of his own.

"I SAID...OHH!" Katherine squealed, as she felt something slap her bottom.

"Keep doing what you're doing [hic]," he said to her, hiccupping as he did, "and I'll sit down right here, in this Hall with all these people staring at us [hic]…turn you over on my knee and give you a spanking you'll never forget!"

Katherine blushed brightly in embarrassment, but kept silent.

"I personally wouldn't have a problem with it," his voice added, and although she couldn't see his face, she could sense the smirk on it all the way from the back. "But I imagine that many of your men would have a good laugh at the sight…don't you [hic]?"

"Lad!" she heard the old Mentor's voice speak up in urgency, but Goliath didn't pay him any heed.

"My wife is tired and needs to go to bed now," the Gargoyle explained to the gathered Humans who were quite shocked, or at least the ones who weren't completely drunk. "Please excuse us [hic]."

With that, he walked out of the Great Hall, Katherine cursing lowly as she was jostled over his shoulder, the crowd watching as they left.

"Well," one of the Guards, standing watch at the Great Hall's large door, said to the other with a wicked smile. "That's one way to settle an argument in a marriage."

The two of them guffawed, quickly followed by the rest of the crowd, as they joked about all they had just seen. The only one who didn't join in the laughter was the clan's Mentor, as he looked to where his leader had exited; a dark frown on his face.

Meanwhile, the moment Goliath and Katherine had left the Great Hall, she had instantly started shouting and cursing again, demanding to be released.

"Ah quit your whinging," he belched, his stomach churning slightly, as he walked quickly up to their room, opening and shutting the door behind him.

"RELEASE ME AT ONCE!" she ordered.

"To command…" he began, and then dropped her right onto her bed, "… is to obey [hic]." He finished.

She glared at him. "Be gone from my room, foul beast!" she commanded.

He laughed with his hand-claws on his hips. "_My_ room, don't you mean?"

Katherine's glare never ceased, but there seemed to be a touch of fear in them as well, but he didn't notice…mainly because he had other things on his mind just then.

He moaned, as he felt a fresh wave of dizziness come over him, his head feeling like it was turning wildly in a storm. He struggled to stay standing, as he swayed uneasily on his up-turned clawed-feet.

At that moment, he envied Humans for their flat feet.

Katherine at that moment was absolutely terrified and with good reason. There she was, locked in her room, lying on her bed, with Goliath standing right before her at the foot of the bed, looking as though he was getting ready to pounce.

'This is it,' she thought with terror. 'He's going to do it tonight. He's going to take me as his, and there's nothing I can do about it!'

"Get out!" she hissed. "Get out now, I order…!"

"Ughhhh…" he groaned, and lost his balance.

She shrieked, as Goliath's huge body suddenly fell down on her. With less than a second before his enormous weight would have crushed her, she rolled over to the side, dropping herself onto the floor, just as he fell onto the mattress.

The sound made a huge crashing noise, which was clearly heard by the two guards on the other side. They looked at each other with a momentarily stunned look, which soon turned into a long smirk.

"Guess _His_ Highness finally decided to take his wife to bed, huh," the first stated, chuckling.

Inside, Katherine paused for a moment, breathing in stunned shock, until she heard the deep snores of the clan-leader coming from up on her bed. As she got up to look at him, she realised that the drink must have gotten to him, causing him to lose consciousness.

"Oh no!" she declared, and got up to whack the massive Gargoyle's shoulder. "Remove yourself from my bed at once, now! Do you hear me? GET OFF!"

But Goliath neither protested nor complied, as he just continued snoring, the alcohol having knocked him out completely.

She continued whacking him across the shoulder for a few minutes, and even hit him on the head with one of her pillows, shouting and commanding him to awake and remove himself from her bed…but it was all for nothing. The alcohol in the wine had done its worst.

She briefly considered calling in her guards to have them remove him, but in the end she thought better of it. She would hate to think what sort of gossip it would cause around the castle if any of her guards spread anything about what they saw in here. She could only just imagine what those nattering wash-maids would say.

Seething in frustration, she grabbed a couple of pillows from her bed, along with an extra blanket from the wardrobe, and settled down to sleep by the fireplace where it was warmest.

"Wonderful night," she muttered bitterly. "Just wonderful. What else could possibly go wrong?"

No sooner had she said that…

"ZZZZZZZZZ!" Goliath's snores seemed to increase in volume, each breath giving off a sound louder than a hundred battle-horns.

Katherine clenched her teeth, as each snore seemed to make the entire room shudder.

"I had to ask," she moaned.

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**The Following Night; Sunset:**

The sun had sunk, and once more the cloak of night awakened the castle's sleeping Gargoyles, completely healed and re-strengthened…save for one.

Goliath had awakened in his usual style, roaring as he shed his stone-skin, but the instant he was fully awake, he immediately groaned and held his head painfully.

He pulled himself off the Royal bed; wondering for a moment what he was doing there before remembering last night, and instantly felt a fresh headache come upon him.

Rubbing the temples of his head, hoping to ease the pounding within, he remembered that not all wounds and ailments could be healed by a good day of sleep, something that the former leader of his clan had learned also.

"Still feeling your celebration from last night?" a cold voice asked him from behind.

The monarch of the castle stiffened and rose to full height, in an effort to restore his dignity, while turning around to face his wife.

"Yes," he admitted, looking at her straight in her face. "Are you well?"

Katherine's eyes became smaller. "Depends on how well you think being humiliated in front of my own people, carried to my room like a hunted Boar, terrified and then forced out of my own bed by _you, _is?" she said accusingly.

He winced. "I am terribly sorry about that, Katherine," he said honestly. "Had I been in my right mind, I would never have acted so vilely. I suppose I am not so used to strong wine, as the soldiers are."

"I'm sure," she replied icily. She was angry, make no mistake about that, but deep down she was also ashamed, though not because of Goliath. She knew, though she hated to admit it, that last night's fiasco was not entirely his fault.

The man who had insisted on giving him the wine was notorious for drunken disorderly behaviour wherever he went. He had been warned several times, and was now paying for his act by spending the day in one of the dungeon cells.

Goliath undoubtedly would not have done what he did last night if not for him. However, she would be damned if she would let him know that.

Goliath sighed. "If there is anything I can do to make it up to you?"

She scoffed. "I highly doubt it!"

He thought for a moment, but could think of nothing, and at the moment, he had other duties to attend to. "I promise I will think of something. But now, I must go. My council awaits me."

She gave him a thin glare, but nodded.

By her leave, he bowed and left through the balcony window.

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As Goliath leapt from the Princess's balcony, gliding toward the tower to meet up with his Second and discuss the night's duty rosters, he wondered about the other thing that he had been planning to speak to her about…about her working alongside the Rookery Keepers.

He had difficulty trying to remember all the previous night's activities, thanks to that blasted drink, but he recalled he had spoken to her about that particular subject, because he had been planning to do so all night.

In the end, he decided that it could wait. He had originally planned for her new chore not to start until next week anyway, and in light of what happened recently, perhaps it would be best to let her calm down first before presenting her with it.

Besides, he had a meeting to attend tonight. He had talked with the Captain about his idea of coordinating Human-Gargoyle patrols, and his friend had been very supportive of it, though he still believed that it would need more time and at least one such trust-building meeting between the warriors.

He landed in the courtyard, to walk across it. Though he was more inclined to glide, he knew that by walking the humans of the castle would see him more often, and the more they saw him, the more they would get used to him.

This would also be a good opportunity to show himself amongst what the humans called _'his subjects', _and would also mean a step closer to a more coordinated work pattern between his clan's warriors and the human ones.

It meant hard work, but he had known this already.

He moaned, as his headache stirred up again. By the Dragon, he couldn't figure out why anyone would enjoy alcohol if they had to endure these kinds of consequences!

"Still feeling queasy, My Leader," Iago's voice suddenly spoke up beside him, making him nearly lose his balance.

"What do you want?" Goliath all but snarled. What with Katherine, his clan and this splitting headache, Iago was the last Gargoyle he wanted to speak with now.

"Temper, temper," his dark brother replied. "I was only making a simple observation, and wanted to ensure you were feeling okay."

"I'm _sure_," he replied, unconvinced.

"Whatever you wish to believe, brother," Iago said, shrugging. "But tell me, how fairs your relationship with your lovely mate?"

Goliath's cheeks flushed dark lavender, while his eyes started to burn white-silver.

"Ahh, that well, huh?"

"Don't you have anything better to do?" he snapped.

"Peace, brother. I'm sure it's not as bad as you think. Mayhap I could help?"

He scoffed. "Since when have you ever desired to help?"

"I was punished for the crimes of which I was guilty, My Leader. You yourself saw to that. I fully intend to start anew, and considering that your marriage to the Princess concerns all of us, myself included, it would be foolish of me to consider causing any trouble between the two of you."

"You have no idea of any of my problems, so thank you for your offer, but no!" He made to walk away, straight to the tower.

Iago, however, continued to walk right next to him. "I'm guessing that after your…_marital dispute_ display last night, due to the drink, you and Katherine are not exactly on speaking terms right now?"

Goliath's cheeks flushed again.

"Not that I can blame her really," Iago said casually. "The way you jostled her about, slapping her bottom like you did, and then carrying her out like a piece of hunted game."

With every word he spoke, Goliath felt like ramming himself into the nearest wall, head first. "Is there a point to this?" he hissed.

"I was just wondering if you had thought about how you were going to make up with her. After all, considering how cold she was to our kind before, I doubt you want her to dislike us, or _you_, even more?"

He chewed his lower lip. "No, I do not," he said honestly.

"So what do you have planned then?"

Goliath didn't like discussing something this sensitive with his sly brother, or anything else for that matter, but he had already started so he may as well finish.

Sighing, he told him. "I…do not know. I have yet to come to a decision. I don't intend anything special, as it's just to apologise."

His brother interrupted him with a smile. "I think I can offer a solution to your dilemma, brother."

"How so?" he asked. Though he was still wary of him, he knew his cunning brother had a great mind... A pity he didn't use it for the benefit of the clan once in a while.

Iago seemingly thought for a moment. "How about…a midnight picnic?"

"A picnic?"

"Of course," Iago replied. "It would be simple yet elegant; you would be all alone for you to talk…"

"What about her guards?"

"Why, you'd surely not bring them with you, would you?" Iago said, looking at him, astounded.

"She rarely goes anywhere without them."

"Well, have them depart for tonight. You can carry her yourself to… Where exactly do you think you should go?"

Goliath frowned. 'Good question.'

"How about the small lake in the woods where we played as hatchlings," he thought aloud, earning him a big grin from Iago. "It is undisturbed. Rarely anyone goes there anymore, and I think we could spend one night away from the castle. Plus, it would give me the opportunity to tell her of her new chore to work in the Rookery."

"What a good idea, my leader! While you're there alone, you can have the place to yourselves to chat, with a small picnic lunch to eat…to make it a bit less awkward."

Goliath thinned his eyes at him. He had to admit that what he suggested did sound promising…but experience had long since taught him not to trust anything his sly brother said.

"You can take my advice or not, brother," Iago said finally. "It's all up to you!"

"Maybe," he replied, still not entirely sure of his brother's intent. "But for now, I won't let my soldiers wait for me any longer."

"Of course," Iago noted with a smile. "I'm glad I could help."

With that Goliath left, leaving his brother to smirk as he went inside.

'_Easy,_' Iago thought. '_So very easy._'

With that, he moved away to another area of the castle, just as Goliath reached the room where Othello and some others were waiting for him.

Othello was about to speak to him, but his Mentor spoke up first.

"Lad, a word," the old warrior said, making clear by his tone that this was not a request.

Despite his gigantic size compared to the old leader, Goliath felt as small as a hatchling when he met his mentor's eyes. "Aye, Mentor," he replied, and added to his Second, "I'll be but one moment, my Second."

Othello nodded, secretly glad of this, as he had a feeling he would not want to be part of the discussion that was about to occur.

Goliath and the old warrior walked a little further away until they were a fair distance from the ears of the clan. Once they were, the Mentor turned to him and gave him a look he hadn't done since he was still in the rookery.

"Would ye care telling me what it was ye were playing at last night, _leader_?" the Mentor all but demanded, his stern gaze never letting up.

He winced. "My Mentor, please forgive me, but…"

"Don't be giving me buts, Goliath!" the elder warrior stated. "I was there, remember. I saw the way ye acted, drunk out of yuir mind, throwing the Princess over your shoulder like she were a prize deer, right after you publicly threatened to… What was it ye said…? Oh yes. _Give her a spanking she'd never forget_!"

Goliath wanted nothing more at that moment than for the earth to open up and swallow him whole, as he shut his eyes in embarrassment.

"Lad, what in the name of the Dragon made ye act in such a shameless and disgraceful manner? Ye know better than to go around acting like a common drunken lout."

Goliath refrained from mentioning that his Mentor had once performed in a similar way, years ago when his mate had passed away, seeking comfort in the drink rather than face his pain. However, the memory of his mate's death was still painful to him, so Goliath chose to keep silent.

"My Mentor," he began. "One of the soldiers offered me a drink of the new wine given to them by the Princess. I did not wish to seem rude, especially since he was one of the few who have started to befriend us."

The old one stared at him. "That is an adequate excuse for _one_ drink, lad…but what about the nine others?"

The Gargoyle Prince blinked. Had it been _that_ many?

"I…don't know," he said feebly. "I only agreed to try one drink, in order to satisfy one who I thought might become a new friend to our clan. Then he offered me a second one, and I thought why not, seeing as the drink was quite sweet and did not seem that harmful to me."

"And then another and another, correct?" his old teacher and leader said, looking at him almost sadly. "Lad, don't ye know it always starts out that way? One drink always leads to another. Trust me, as I know this all too well."

"I am terribly sorry, old friend."

"It is not me ye should be sorry for, lad, but for yuirself," the aged Gargoyle told him. "Weren't ye the one who was always going on about how we should be careful around the Princess until she grew accustomed to us and our race? And was it not ye who punished those seven rapscallions for frightening her so when they did something nearly as foolish as ye did last night?"

He growled beneath his breath, wishing he could turn back the clock, but nodded in defeat. "Yes, I know, Mentor. Believe me, I wish I could roll back time and undo my last night's disgrace, but I cannot. All I can do is admit my mistakes and try to make amends."

The one eyed warrior looked at him a moment longer, and then finally nodded. "Aye," he simply said. "Might I ask how yuir planning to win yuirself back into the Princess's graces?"

Goliath bit back his first response, asking how he could win back into something he was never in, in the first place. "I do have one idea, one I'm planning for tomorrow night."

"Very well then," his Mentor said. "I have to speak with the other elders, so I wish ye the best of luck, leader."

He nodded his thanks, and after the old warrior had left, he made his way back over to where Othello and now the captain and some of his soldiers were waiting for him.

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Quickly, cautious not to be seen by any of the clan, the slim Gargoyle glided down to the room the Princess and his brother now shared, and, not seeing anyone in there save for the one person he craved, he walked straight in.

Walking in with a seemingly brusque attitude, he was glad to find the Princess rising from the big chair beside the fire, a book in her hand.

"How dare ye enter here without permission!" Katherine bellowed.

"Oh, dear sister," Iago said smugly. "In the clan we share what we have, so there is no need for so much privacy."

"I'm not part of your clan, monster!" she replied. "Now what do you want?"

"I thought I should congratulate you for becoming even more part of our clan very soon."

"What do you mean by this?" she asked, her thoughts turning to a new chore.

"My brother intends to take you with him into the forest...something about adding something to the rookery."

Her eyes grew wide. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "Should I know my brother's mind? All I know is that it has something to do with the rookery, and he needs to take you somewhere private because of it."

She looked at him, confused.

"Say!" he said, suddenly looking interested. "You don't suppose my brother wishes to take you some place where you and he can be alone, to start trying for an egg at long last?"

Her eyes grew wide in terror, as she remembered his words from at the dinner, about Goliath wishing to produce an egg for the rookery. "You lie!" she screamed.

"Maybe, maybe not," he said, shrugging. "Like I said, who am I to know my brother's mind? But then again...why else would he take you out into the middle of nowhere?"

"Leave!" she ordered with all the strength she could muster. "Now!"

"Of course," he said, still smiling as he walked out the balcony window. "I'll leave you to your thoughts. Still, though. I mean…just think what a child like that would symbolise to the union of our people!"

With his last words, he glided out of the window, leaving Katherine to collapse in the chair.

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**Next Night: **

Katherine fought a titanic fight against the fear she felt at this moment.

When Goliath had come back the previous night to their room, not saying a word, she had dared to hope that the sly-looking Gargoyle had been just teasing her. She became convinced of this throughout the day, as the impossibility of a Human and a Gargoyle producing a child seemed so ridiculous that even the mind of a beast must recognise this fact.

Yet soon after nightfall, he had gone up to her, asking her to wait while he left to go get something. Within a few minutes he had returned, holding a large basket with a cloth draped over it, and all that he would tell her was that he had planned a special surprise for her tonight.

The Princess had not asked him his plans, as she was too terrified to do more than take breath. And when she hadn't refused his offer of taking her for a glide, he had taken her into his strong arms and leapt off the battlements, gliding her to the forest.

It was like one of the nightmares she had had as a child, except that this nightmare had become bitter reality.

"You're shivering," Goliath noticed, worried, as they soared through the air towards the woods. "I'm sorry. I should have brought warmer clothing for you." To help, he embraced her closer to him, sharing his body-heat with her, but all this seemed to do was make her shiver even more.

Katherine didn't respond. She kept thinking about how easy it would be if she were to just allow herself to fall out of his arms, down to the woods below, where a quick death awaited her, instead of the torture that would surely await her tonight.

She cursed herself for not having sought help from the Magus. If he couldn't help her kill the beast, then maybe he could at least kill the part he wanted to assault her with.

"There," he said, pointing to a clearing in the woods that was near a small lake.

She had to cling tighter to him when he landed.

"This part of the woods is safe," he explained, setting her down. "We will be undisturbed here."

"Why have you brought us here?" she asked, her voice quivering, yet she couldn't help noticing that the environment was very beautiful.

"Well," he started, a little unsure of how best to explain this. "I wanted to apologise about the other night…with the wine. But I also understand that there are things in a marriage we haven't been able to experience properly." He spread a blanket he had taken out of the basket over the ground. "But I hope that by talking about it now, it will result in a better understanding between us."

She didn't respond, but stared at him with barely concealed horror, as he looked out over the lake.

"I remember back when my siblings and I played here as hatchlings," he reminisced. "We had fun back then, with our future still undecided. And I think of the hatchlings of the clan, and their future is the reason I brought you here."

As his wife still hadn't responded, but continued staring at him, the large Gargoyle sighed.

"I…" he began to say, and lightly gripped the buckle of his loincloth, as he always did when he was nervous or unsure, looking as if he were about to undo it. "I was wondering if you would like..."

A rushing sound, like a deer slipping through the woods, caused him to turn around, starring at the empty place where the Princess had stood just previously.

"…Katherine?"

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**One Hour Later;**

**Castle's Courtyard:**

Iago secretly watched his brother land, returning earlier than expected, which was what he had hoped for. Goliath quickly released his wife from his arms, who fled inside the castle, with her husband watching after her.

"Back so soon?" he asked, stepping out of the shadows. "What went wrong?"

Goliath shook his head, still looking at where the Princess had vanished.

"She didn't even give me a chance," he replied in a sad tone. "I brought her to the forest to make up for my disgraceful behaviour at the dinner two nights ago, and to also explain to her the details of her next chore, working in the rookery with the eggs. For some reason, she tried to run away the moment we landed."

"Maybe she just doesn't like picnics?" Iago suggested, seemingly in compassion. "But in all honestly, brother, it sounds to me most likely that she simply has no real desire to make peace with you. In fact, I doubt she ever will."

"Maybe," Goliath said unhappily, watching the doorway, through which Katherine had fled. He really thought he had been making progress with her, but if her reaction tonight was any indication, then it seemed he was mistaken.

He wondered if perhaps he had offended her somehow. But if that was the case, then what had he done exactly?

These thoughts and numerous others flowed in and out of his head, as he pondered this, so he did not notice the deep grin on his brother's face that followed him back into the castle.

**To Be Continued… **


	6. Chapter 6

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles and Gargoyles comics are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
>No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.<br>All original characters are the property of Storyseeker and Hardwing.**_

_**Here it is, the newly revamped saga! With fresh new/extended and altered scenes! **_

_**Once again, this story was co-written with the great author Hardwing! Many thanks!**_

_**This fic saga is set in an alternate universe, in Wyvern's past, with characters from the Gargoyles comics, the Dark Ages Saga in TGS and some of Hardwing's own characters. It starts off right after the events shown in the show's episode 'Long Way To Morning' in 984 A.D. where the events in that chapter lead to a different conclusion for the clan. It is also set in the same timeline as the show in that era, with two small differences… and that's Goliath didn't get his name until 984 A.D. and the eggs hatched soon in 995 A.D.**_

_**Oh, and in case some people get offended at some of the sexist remarks in this saga… Please remember that it is set in the medieval ages (things were different back then). **_

_**Many thanks to Kimberly Towle for her suggestions, and to the author Aesop for all his proofreading!**_

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**Two Days Later; Castle Wyvern: **

Princess Katherine walked though the halls of Wyvern, thinking with nervousness and disgust about the new chores her _husband_ was certainly already planning for her. She had hoped that, ever since that fearful night when Goliath had gotten drunk and mishandled her, he would have forgotten all about setting her a new task to replace the royal duties he had usurped from her.

So far he had not made any suggestions of a new chore, but she had the sneaking suspicion that he was planning one soon enough. There had also been the night when he had taken her into the forest in the dead of night, and actually looked as if he were about to undress right in front of her.

She had raced nearly all the way back to the castle, her legs aching but not stopping until he had caught up to her, asking her what was the matter. She hadn't said, only demanded that he return her home at once, which he had done.

Goliath still did not know what had been wrong with her that night. He claimed that he had only wanted to talk to her, nothing else. She had been too nervous at the time to think clearly, but she gradually realised that if he had truly intended to do anything then he would have done so already.

Still, she couldn't imagine why he thought she would want to go out with him into the middle of the forest together…alone.

'I'm not giving in,' she swore to herself, 'never.'

And even though she meant this with all her heart, she still couldn't banish the nagging feeling growing in her that this was indeed her fate.

"Good evening, dear sister," a voice said cheerfully to her, as a dark figure landed on the floor before her, having just skilfully glided through a window.

"You!" she nearly hissed, as she stared on the form of Iago, the slim beast being the third of her least favoured Gargoyles of their damned race, the Mentor and Goliath being tied for first.

This Gargoyle had been the one who had told her of Goliath's intent to take her to the forest. When he had done so, he had made odd little comments about how frustrating it had to be for him to be mated and yet not have borne any eggs yet. The conversation had left her scared that he had intended just that. That belief was further fuelled when her husband looked as if he were about to start stripping at the lake.

Once she had calmed down, she begrudgingly accepted that _maybe_ she had just overreacted. After all, this Gargoyle had never actually _said_ that Goliath was planning to do anything with her. She must have, as the English would say, gotten hold of the wrong end of the stick.

"What do you want, besides to block my way?"

The Gargoyle's eyes grew smaller, but he still had the slim smile on his face.

"Your dear husband sent me," he told her, his grin growing wider as he noticed her scowl at the mention of his brother. "He expects you to meet him in the courtyard near the rookery."

"What does he want?" she asked suspiciously.

"How should I know what a Prince wants with his wife?" he replied sarcastically, and jumped out of the window, leaving her to stare at his retreating form.

Frowning, she sighed in submission and started to make her way to the courtyard, guessing that her earlier suspicion about Goliath was about to be proven correct.

'Beast-keeping, here I come again,' she thought, depressed.

While she made her way there, the smiling Iago quickly made his own way around the castle to the Princess's husband. He found it almost too easy to play with this human, as he glided a circle around the castle's highest tower. He evaded a collision with two mates, who were enjoying their time to themselves a little too much, gliding nearer to his leader.

0000000000

Goliath stood at the top of the tower, overseeing one of the hatchlings' gliding lessons out over the ocean, despite his longing to attend the party that the males of his clan had thrown together in the courtyard.

The celebration was in honour of a young couple that had decided to be mated. In human terms, it was a stag-night, to wish them well and the best of luck in their new lives together. Goliath, as Prince and leader, had given his clan permission to use the courtyard for their celebration, and had informed all of the humans about it in case any became offended, or might wish to attend.

Most of the clan's males were celebrating together in the courtyard, while the females chose to have their celebration separately in the deeper parts of the castle. Although the tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other before the wedding was strictly a human custom, not Gargoyle, the genders of their race often had different ideas on how to celebrate. Hence they preferred to have their fun separately. And judging by the cheering he heard from within, they also seemed to be having the time of their lives.

Although most of the clan were attending each celebration, a few of them had to watch over the hatchlings and oversee their lessons. Goliath had chosen to stay, feeling he owed it to them, as his duty as leader…despite wishing he could have gone. He hadn't been to a _stag-night_ since his green rookery brother with the beak had mated, who had been the last of their generation to do so. He particularly felt envious whenever he heard the cheers of his brothers arose from below. Gargoyle celebrations were known to get pretty raunchy, and he had always enjoyed himself at them.

"Good evening, brother," the sly Iago said, as he landed beside him.

"Brother," he greeted him, though reserved. "I'm busy watching the hatchling's training..."

"I don't want to hold you from your important task," Iago noted, his voice full of sarcasm. "Your _wife_ sent me to ask for your attendance in your room."

"Why?" he asked, suddenly interested.

"She wouldn't say," his brother replied, shrugging. "But she sounded calm at least. Maybe she just wanted to talk."

Now the ruler of the castle looked more than interested, feeling hope rising in him. Maybe she was finally willing to forgive him for his actions while he had been drunk.

"Would you watch over the hatchlings for me until I return," he said, not waiting for a reply, and hurried down the steps leading down into the castle. "Thank you, brother."

"Always, brother," Iago whispered with a smile.

0000000000

Meanwhile, Katherine had reached the place in the courtyard that Goliath had seemingly planned to meet her at, only to find the place filled with most of the clan's male Gargoyles.

"_What is he planning...?"_ she thought, feeling an uneasiness rise in her, though the males were just joking around, eating and drinking.

Steadying herself and taking posture, she walked into the group, planning to end this as soon as possible. Most of them didn't notice her at first, as they were all too busy having fun, laughing loudly, singing crude tunes that she didn't recognise, clinking their goblets together and downing whatever spirits they had.

She cringed, as she tried pushing past the large Gargoyles in front of her. Having these huge and bulking things around her was bad enough, but the worst part about Gargoyles, in her own opinion, was the extra limbs they possessed. Their wings and tails took up whatever bit of room she had left to move about in. Already she had had a few wings flap into her, blocking her vision and nearly knocking her off her feet, and several tails slapping her whenever their owners moved from side to side.

She didn't bother voicing her disdain since everyone was being too noisy to even notice her, and they were used to accidentally hitting someone with their back-limbs, which was why they usually kept them caped close to them at all times. Hence they didn't bother to look behind them to see who it was they had hit, especially since this was a Gargoyle celebration, and the courtyard had been cleared just for them, for the evening.

"Have you seen your leader?" she asked the nearest Gargoyle, a large black-skinned male with fin-like ears. He looked a bit older than Goliath, and who just stared at the human for a moment before snorting and turning his back on her.

Angry at this impudence, she walked past him, heading deeper into the crowd where they were making some music with primitive flutes and drums. Some of the clan looked as though they were ready to start dancing, as several of them drew together in a circle.

"Hello!" she nearly shouted. "Can you tell me where...?"

She didn't get the chance to speak any further, as she was suddenly seized by both arms by two Gargoyles who, with their brothers and elders, began to move around in the circle, pulling the unwilling Princess with them.

"EEK!" she squealed, as she was pulled along with the flow of warriors, their talon feet tapping on the ground, as they danced to the tune of the music. "RELEASE ME!" she screamed, as the two tall brutes held her up to their chest-heights, leaving her feet to dangle helplessly below her.

"Isn't this fun?" a Gargoyle with dark-brown skin and bull-like horns on her left asked jovially. He was grinning ecstatically, no doubt drunk from the alcohol she could smell coming from all around her.

"NO!" she shouted angrily, struggling in vain to get her arms free.

"Come on!" the Gargoyle on her right, a clouded-white one with four long horns on his head, said, as he held her arm in his massive claw. "That's why you came here, isn't it? Our parties aren't as dusty as the human ones!"

"_Hear-hear!" _a chorus of voices shouted out from the crowd, some coming even from the elders who were almost smiling, like they were in approval, as the Gargoyles in the circle paraded her about with them.

"_Let her be part of the circle!" _

"_PARTY!"_

"LET ME GO, YOU BEASTS!" she shouted at them, kicking her legs, wishing she could strike any of them on the shins.

On this, both Gargoyles on the side of her exchanged a look, and then shrugged their shoulders.

"I SAID LET ME…OHHH!" she yelped, as they suddenly let her go in the middle of the dance-movement, causing her to stumble backwards. She flayed her arms around her, trying to stop herself from falling over, until finally gravity won and she lost her balance, landing straight on her rear and eliciting a raucous laughter from all the surrounding warriors.

She glared hatefully at them before lifting herself up from the ground, smoothing out her dress as best as she could.

[SLAP!]

She squealed again, as she felt one of the Gargoyles' confounded tails slap her. She whirled around, glaring daggers at the one nearest her, who happened to be the black one she had spoken to first. He had his back on her and his nose turned up, looking innocent.

She gave a very Gargoyle-like growl below her breath, as she moved backwards, keeping her front to him at all times. Unfortunately, she obviously couldn't see where she was going, and ended up tripping over a small mould of dirt, and would have fallen right onto her back if not for an older Gargoyle, who grabbed her from under her arms, holding her up.

"Be careful now, lass," a thick Gargoyle, who had once been called Agamemnon by Brother Edmund, said kindly, but with a touch of mirth as well. "You'll do yourself a mischief if you don't watch where you're going."

Yet Katherine had no ear for the kind tone of his voice, but instead looked in rage at the Gargoyles who had now broken the circle and formed a line, looking at her.

"You are nothing but wild animals!" she yelled at them. "Filthy, disgusting, wild animals!"

Many of the Gargoyles' voices arose in indignation and protest, yelling back at her.

"_We were just having some fun!" _

"_Aye, this is supposed to be our free time, our celebration! And yet you come here and ruin it!" _

"_Well, since she has no problem in telling us what she thinks of us, why don't we show her what we think of **her**?"_

The last words came from one of the males in the line, the dark-brown one with the bullhorns, in front of her. He seemed more unbalanced on his feet than the rest of them, looking as though he had drunken maybe a few too many cups of wine. He whispered something to the rest of them, and whatever he said made them laugh, making Katherine nervous.

They all shared a grin, but made no move to walk over to her. However, her relief was short-lived…

In union, they all turned around, bent over…and lifted their loincloths at her, making her face go bright red.

The drunken warriors then raised their tails high in the air, showing off their naked backsides to the stunned and blushing Princess, as she instantly slapped her hand to her eyes, covering them. While from behind her, she could vaguely make out the groaning sound of Agamemnon.

"Lads!" he said in desperation, yet she couldn't help but detect the faint sound of a chuckle in his voice as well.

"DISGUSTING BARBARIANS!" she shouted on them. "I will see you all punished for this!"

With this she turned around and left the courtyard, forcing her way through the rest of the crowd, all of who were laughing at her outrage, not to mention how she tried to walk past them with her hand still covering her eyes.

"Oh yes?" one of them shouted from behind her. "Don't forget that our brother is ruler now!"

She stiffened, and stopped for a moment, before continuing to walk away, cursing under her breath, her hand still over her eyes.

While not far away, secure on a battlement above, Iago was looking around and having to stop himself from laughing.

"_This worked perfectly."_ he thought, rushing inside the castle. He knew he had chosen well when he had listed the help of those ridiculous oafs from the previous rookery. Obviously the years into adulthood had not given them the maturity of adults. _"Now for the second part."_

Once inside, he rushed to the royal quarters, finding his brother waiting there as he had expected.

"Dear brother, I'm happy to find you here," he told his leader who looked at him, a bit surprised. "It seems I made a mistake. Your wife is waiting in the courtyard."

"Brother, if this is one of your games, I..." Goliath began.

"Relax!" he insisted. "She seemingly noticed our celebration for the soon-to-be mates, and thought you were there."

Goliath stared at him a moment, but figured that talking to him would only make his wife wait longer, so he rushed through the floors leading outside. He could always ask Katherine what she had told Iago to tell him.

However, when he found his wife, all the questions about what Iago had exactly told her were instantly forgotten, as he saw her arguing with a group of his clan, seemingly backing away from them…with her hand over her eyes for some reason.

"What is going on here?" he asked in a voice full of authority. There were a few of his clan-mates standing before him, two who were his own rookery brothers, the one that Brother Edmund called Javin, and the red one with the long beak and white beard. There were also three others from the rookery before, a black-skinned one with fin-like ears, a clouded-white one with four horns, and the large dark-brown one that Edmund called Minos for some reason.

His clouded-skinned brother, quick witted and never at a loss for words, was the first to answer.

"We were celebrating peacefully in the courtyard when she arrived," he explained. "We thought she wanted to celebrate with us, but when we tried to get her to join our dance, she just screamed and offended us."

"You filthy lying scum!" Katherine shouted on the Gargoyle before turning to her husband. "It was an orgy, and you are the one responsible for allowing it to happen in the first place!"

Goliath frowned. "It is hardly an orgy, Katherine," he said in a hard tone, being hit by this. "It is merely a celebration to honour two of our clan who intend to be mated…or married, as you would say. I will admit that sometimes our way of celebrating can seem rather _extreme_, but no more than how I've seen your soldiers celebrate over the years. And you did not have to join them if you hadn't wished to. You could have simply stayed out of the courtyard, as I told all the other humans within the castle."

She glared at him a moment, lacking words to describe the hate she felt right now, before storming away from him, back into the castle.

`Beasts like his kind will never change,' she thought.

Goliath gave his brothers another look, but they each just put up an ***honest* **face and shrugged their shoulders.

'She will never change,' he thought, depressed, and made his way back to the hatchlings to continue covering their training.

Once he was gone, Iago glided down to the ground, smiling brightly at his comrades. "Well done, brothers," he praised them all equally.

Minos smiled. "T'was a pleasure," he said honestly. "I was grateful for the chance to give that arrogant brat a taste of humility!"

The others, however, did not look so certain.

"I'm not so sure about this," the dark one explained. "Haven't we just made things more difficult for our leader by doing this?"

"Definitely not!" Iago hastened to assure him. "By increasing the gap between our leader and his human mate, we can rest assure that he will never allow her to take advantage of him again. Remember, the more aggravated we make her, the more Goliath will see of her true nature! If we had done nothing, she would have kept edging away at him until he began submitting himself to her every whim again. Then we would all be right back where we started…rugs for the humans to wipe their feet upon!"

The last statement made all of them growl.

"We must do what we can for the good of the clan," Javin added, chewing his lower lip.

"Aye, no matter how loathsome it may feel," the white one agreed. He found this whole sneaking behind the leader's back, sabotaging his attempts to reconcile with his mate, to be dishonourable and unworthy. But he also didn't want to risk Katherine coming back into her former power. There was no telling what she would do in retaliation, particularly after tonight.

"Have no fear, brothers," Iago told them, smiling. "I can honestly say that after tonight, the chances of Katherine and Goliath getting too close are slim to none!"

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**Few Hours Later;**

**Just Before Dawn:**

Katherine fumed, as she paced the floor of her room. How dare he believe the word of those drunken lunatics over hers! That miserable, arrogant overgrown Ox of a husband of hers! As her husband, wasn't he supposed to trust _her_ word?

She paced the floor a few times, becoming angrier and angrier at each step she took. She felt enraged and humiliated after tonight's escapade, even more so than when those demented youths had taken her _gliding_.

The door to their room opened, and she turned to see Goliath bow his head shortly, to avoid bumping his head on the doorframe, before stepping inside.

"What did you mean by belittling me like that?" she demanded, wasting no time.

Goliath sighed. "I did not belittle you…" he started.

"By God you didn't!" she snapped. "I told you what happened, yet you chose to accept your brother-monster's word instead!"

He thinned his eyes at her. "Considering your attitude toward us, is it any wonder?" he said silently, but added more loudly, "All the castle was made aware of my clan's celebration concerning my brother and sister's impending Mating Ceremony. Why you did not know of it is beyond me. But since you just barged into the celebration, my brothers merely acted as they would with any other person who would do so."

At her angered face, he also added, "I know that they probably handled you in a way you are unused to, Princess. But no more than I've seen the males of your race act so in celebrations of their own. And it was not as if they intended any true harm."

"They threw me around like I was a straw-doll!" she insisted. "They were rude, acting like ravaging Vikings…"

"If you're going to say they were about to take liberty with you!" he quickly interjected, referring to her part about _ravaging Vikings_." Then, please, do not bother. My brothers may have acted a little wild, but they are hardly savages. They were merely enjoying themselves, as many people of either race have done before."

She glared at him. "I should have known," she said snidely. "You beasts always stick together, do you not?"

At that note, his eyes flared white again, making her take a step back.

"I have given you every courtesy since the night of our exchange of vows," he hissed below his breath. "At first I bowed down to your every whim, giving in to your every desire or will, all the while treating you with nothing but respect and honour. In return, all I asked for was the same treatment…and although we got off to a shaky start, I foolishly dared to believe you might do so. Now I see what a fool I have been!"

Katherine said nothing, merely staring at him with a hard look.

"I had hoped that given enough time, you would begin to change your views on me and my clan, but now I fear your views are so set in stone that they will never change." He closed his eyes, breathing deeply as though tired.

"From now on, you will not be shown an ounce of leniency, nor any special treatment, regardless of what you have seemingly suffered recently or before."

Her face flared up, as she opened her mouth to protest, but he didn't allow her a single word.

"If you wish to be treated with respect, then you will have to earn it, as my clan have done for many years. With that in mind, I see no more reason in waiting, and have organised your new chore within my clan."

She stuttered, but still he wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise.

"It shall be as we previously…_discussed_. You will take up residence with the Rookery Keepers, and help them care for our clan's eggs. With any luck, maybe working to help take care of the innocent will teach you some humility, though I'm seriously starting to believe that such teachings are beyond you."

"How da…!"

"You will begin first thing tomorrow evening!" he said in a final tone. "I will speak with the Keepers tonight and arrange everything. I suggest you get some rest, as egg-keeping is a lot harder than most people believe."

With that, he turned and made his way outside, via the balcony, taking flight to the air and gliding away.

Katherine watched him leave for a few seconds, before she literally screamed and grabbed the sheets from her bed, pulling them off and ripping them into shreds.

0000000000

**Next Night: **

Katherine fumed, as she straightened the crease in her dress, waiting for Goliath to enter her room. A few minutes later, he arrived.

"Are you ready to face your chore?" he asked.

"I'm curious," she began, sarcastically. "Since you spoke so highly about punishments in your clan, then tell me, how do you handle someone who got drunk _**and**_ mistreated his wife?" She was, of course, referring to his disgraceful behaviour when he had gotten drunk at dinner…_again_.

'Severely,' he thought, though he would hardly call what he did to her _severe_. It was humiliating yes, but hardly anything terrible.

"I'm sorry if I scared you," he said instead, noticing the sound of someone coming up to the door of the room. "But that changes nothing for tonight, and I have tried numerous times to make it up to you. You obviously will not accept my apology, so I see no reason to further dwell on it. Now, once again, are you ready for your chore?"

Her eyes glared at him in defiance. "What if I say no?"

"Well, if you insist, then there is another clan tradition you can do instead?" he added, shrugging as if unconcerned. "It is where the younger ones aid the elders during their time in the bathing chambers."

Her eyes grew wide, and her mouth nearly dropped.

"I am certain my old Mentor and the other elders would be grateful for the help," he continued. "They have had trouble reaching their back-ends lately. And they could always use a good massage to help untie the knots in their muscles."

Although Goliath's face was as stoic as ever, she swore she could see the outline of a smirk on him.

He waited for an answer.

"Where is the Rookery, then?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"We will meet down in the courtyard," he replied, his arms still crossed.

Katherine looked at him for a moment longer in total anger before she turned to leave, only to discover the elder, who had failed to save her father's life, standing in her way.

"Out of my way!" she hissed, and nearly spat at him.

The former leader did so, knowing there was little point in arguing now, and was soon left alone with Goliath.

"An interesting tradition," he said, bemused. "Funny I've never heard of it, lad."

Goliath didn't comment, and merely looked at him with an innocent expression upon his face. They both knew that clan members often took communal baths, and that there was hardly ever an elder in need of, or even willing to accept, the help of others.

"I am running out of ways to deal with her, old friend," he admitted with a sigh, feeling weariness in his head. "I am making progress with nearly all the other Humans in the castle, but with her, it seems I will have to fight her forever."

"You knew, as well as we did, that it wasn't going to be easy, lad," the Mentor replied, laying a claw on his leader's right shoulder. "She's spent most of her life believing the lies that Human fear and bigotry have spread about us. You can't expect her to abandon those ideals overnight? But do not despair. Even if you haven't made progress with her, take comfort in the fact that you have made progress for your clan, for us all! And _this_ _**is**_ something you should be proud of."

Goliath remained silent for a moment, fighting the feeling of weariness, and looked out the window of the balcony, watching as the youngest members of his clan soared through the air.

He watched them for a minute, envying them for their innocence. They had no responsibilities beyond their own personal world of fun and games. What he wouldn't give to be young again, to not have to worry about the safety of his clan, to deal with every suffering problem of the castle, and most of all…not have to deal with the almost constant nagging of his wife.

"Maybe," he admitted. "But I had better go to my wife now. Until later, My Mentor."

With this, the large Gargoyle stepped out of the Royal bedroom, onto the balcony, and began to glide down, his Mentor watching him from above.

As he soared down to the courtyard below, Katherine greeted her husband, in her own special way, when he landed.

"Do you take pleasure in making me wait?" she told him.

"I had an important matter to attend to," he simply replied, and began to move. "Follow me."

She wanted to protest, but he was already walking on ahead, and she knew screaming after him wouldn't help. She shortly considered the option to just storm away, but she remembered how fast this beast was, not to mention how he had _transported_ her the last time she had tried refusing, which was NOT something she wanted to repeat.

Believing that her dignity couldn't stand a further episode of such, she followed him.

Finally, they arrived at a distant part of the courtyard where an older Gargess was waiting for them. She appeared to be one or two generations above Goliath's. Her skin and hair were a dirty grey colour that the Human found repulsive, and as she noticed, the female was studying her angrily.

"Show her around and instruct her," Goliath ordered the elder, "as we discussed."

"My leader," she replied calmly but icily, turning to him with the same look she had given her, making Katherine realise that she was not the only one to be unhappy with her being in the Rookery.

"Come!" the Gargess told her, as Goliath turned to leave. The old one started to walk down to a large set of gates that were almost hidden. Katherine had only seen them a few times herself, and had had little interest in them.

It was only after she had opened one of the gates, which led into what she thought seemed like a grave, the Gargess turned around suddenly, staring straight into the Human's face and nearly making her take a step back in fear. The Gargess's claw then shot out and grabbed her left hand, almost crushing it.

'They've sent me here to be fed to their young!' Katherine thought in panic, but already the Gargess had opened her mouth to speak.

"Listen, Human!" the female began. "Not one of us Rookery Keepers agrees with the leader in letting you down here, but it was his order to do so, so you may stay. But I don't care if the Humans call you maiden, Princess, or even the Queen of Scotland herself. If I find even a single scratch on any one of the eggs that you take care of…_you are __**dead**_."

The Rookery mother neither shouted these words nor even raised her voice, but in a way she didn't need to. For the way she emphasised every word, and the look she gave her, got the message well and truly through.

Katherine nodded.

"And I _will_ check on every single egg you look at," the female added in a calmer tone, letting loose her arm and resuming her way down into the cave, followed by an even more reluctant Human.

Descending slowly, her eyes gradually grew used to the darkness…or rather half darkness, for there were layers of moss growing all around the cavern, which seemed to glow in the dark, illuminating some of the cave.

As she looked over, she saw a mass of thirty to forty eggs, all lying within a bed of dirt, moss and straw. And around them she saw more Gargoyles who were all looking at her with faces nearly as angry as that of the female who had led her here.

"Come on!" her reluctant guide called her from farther below. "We don't have all night!"

Angry but determined to bear her fate with dignity, Katherine walked down into the darkness.

There were seven Gargesses in total within the cave, including the female who had led her in. They were all of different ages, but most were of the older generation…and none looked too happy to see her.

"There are thirty-six eggs down here, Human," her guide informed her. "Each Rookery Keeper helps out by taking care of _five_ eggs on one night, and then another five on the next, but never the same five every night. Understand?"

She just nodded, knowing that each Gargoyle looked upon all their clan's children as their own, a tradition she found most curious above all. She couldn't understand how or why any Gargoyle couple would willingly give up their child to the whole clan.

"Since there are seven of us here," the female continued, "not including you, then that means there is an odd egg out. For now, you will only have the responsibility of caring for one egg each night. Do you think you can manage that, _Your Highness_?"

Katherine glared dangerously at her, but simply replied, "Yes."

The elder nodded. "Very well. Select an egg then. It doesn't matter which one you pick, as they are all equal, even the ones that will bear beasts."

'Oh, wonderful,' she thought sarcastically. 'Seems I've gone back to beast-keeping after all then.'

She moved closer to the nest, a little nervous from all the hard and hawk-like glares that were being thrown her way. None of them were taking their eyes off her, for fear of her damaging the eggs.

She stopped at the egg closest to her. At first she was unsure of what to do next, and considered asking one of the Keepers, despite the uneasiness they brought up in her. Fortunately, she observed them as they each picked up an egg and turned them around in their claws. She vaguely remembered her father telling her once that Gargoyle eggs needed to be turned regularly or else they would crack too soon.

Copying their movements, she reached down to pick up the egg closest to her, lifting it gently up towards her. It was, surprisingly, lighter than she had expected.

"Be careful with that!" one of the other females practically snarled at her. "You drop it, you die!"

"I know!" she replied, frustrated. She could tell it was going to be a great deal of _fun_ working with these females.

**To Be Continued… **


	7. Chapter 7

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles and Gargoyles comics are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
>No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.<br>All original characters are the property of Storyseeker and Hardwing.**_

_**Here it is, the newly revamped saga! With fresh new/extended and altered scenes! **_

_**Once again, this story was co-written with the great author Hardwing! Many thanks!**_

_**This fic saga is set in an alternate universe, in Wyvern's past, with characters from the Gargoyles comics, the Dark Ages Saga in TGS and some of Hardwing's own characters. It starts off right after the events shown in the show's episode 'Long Way To Morning' in 984 A.D. where the events in that chapter lead to a different conclusion for the clan. It is also set in the same timeline as the show in that era, with two small differences… and that's Goliath didn't get his name until 984 A.D. and the eggs hatched soon in 995 A.D.**_

_**Oh, and in case some people get offended at some of the sexist remarks in this saga… Please remember that it is set in the medieval ages (things were different back then). **_

_**Many thanks to Kimberly Towle for her suggestions, and to the author Aesop for all his proofreading!**_

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**Scotland; One Month Later;**

**Kincardine Castle:**

Constantine, now self-proclaimed King Constantine III, sat on his throne, impatiently tapping his fingers, as he awaited news.

Just then, the doors to his throne-room opened, and a figure dressed in a green robe, the hood of which hid his face, and a light green shirt walked in.

The guards on duty made no move to stop him, as they knew whom he was. Constantine's own private sorcerer! There was not a man brave enough, or stupid enough, to go up against him…not unless they wanted something unnatural to happen to them.

Little was known about this Mage, except for rumours indicating that he had once been a monk, as deduced by his shaved head and the fact that some had heard Constantine refer to him as "Brother". Since men of the church were generally against magic, it was doubtful his superiors would have approved of him practising the dark arts, which meant that if this sorcerer ever had been a man of the cloth, then chances were he wasn't now.

Then again, the name "Brother" could just be an alias of some kind, as there were many rogues who often went by false names to conceal their true identities.

The only thing that anyone knew for certain was that he had come to Constantine some time before he had risen to power, and had promised to aid him in securing his right to the throne, which he had now apparently done. In return, the newly crowned king would help acquire something for him…but whatever that thing was, was known only to him and Constantine.

"My Lord Constantine," the robed figure greeted him, as he entered the room.

Constantine stood up, looking at him anxiously. "What news do you bring?" he demanded.

He smiled. "Maol Chalvim, son of Kenneth II, has been captured, My King."

Constantine laughed. "Excellent! It seems your spells have worked out quite well indeed, Mage."

"You're too kind, Your Majesty," the sorcerer replied, though he did so with an edge to his voice, but Constantine was so enthralled in the fact that his enemy had been captured that he didn't notice.

"What of his cousin Kenneth," the new king suddenly asked, "and the traitor Findlaech? Were you able to deal with them also?"

Kenneth III was the son of the late King Duff, cousin to Maol Chalvim and nephew to the now late King Kenneth II whom he was named after. He was known throughout Scotland as "The Grim", though why he was called such was anyone's guess, as everyone who had ever met him described him as a warm and kind hearted man. If anyone, it should have been his grim cousin Maol Chalvim to bear that nickname. He had joined forces with him once he learned that Constantine had murdered his uncle.

Findlaech Mac Ruaidrí was the High Steward of Moray, who had decided to side with Maol Chalvim and Kenneth against Constantine. Known to be a fine warrior and to possess a high sense of honour, Constantine supposed it wasn't too big of a surprise that he had chosen to fight against the man who had slain the king who he had pledged his loyalty to, usurper that he was. And the fact that Findlaech's lands had suffered since the start of his reign had not helped matters much either.

"Sadly no," the bald sorcerer replied with some regret. "He and a small band of what was left of their soldiers fled during the battle, once they realised their defeat was imminent."

"How disappointing," Constantine said grimly. Kenneth III was technically the rightful ruler of Scotland, which made him a large threat to his rule. However, for the moment, he was a threat without an army and allies. "But no matter. With most of their allies and soldiers lost, they pose no real threat to us. For now, let us deal with the matter at hand. Where is Maol Chalvim?"

"Right outside. I figured you would want to see him as soon as possible, so I had him brought here with me."

"Perfect!" Constantine clapped his hands together. "Guards, haul the ex-prince in here!"

Finding and killing Kenneth was definitely at the top of his to do list, but there were some things more important than mere battle strategy and politics. There was also revenge!

Since birth, Constantine had had to live with the humiliation of living the life of a simple Page of the Court, while at the same time having to constantly kneel and practically kiss the feet of the man who slew his father…not to mention his spoilt brat of a son.

Maol Chalvim and he had never got along, mainly because he was the prince, and Constantine a mere Page. Something that Maol Chalvim had seemed to delight in endlessly reminding him of. Even after they grew into manhood, their relationship had not bettered, since Constantine had preyed on the king's affection, acting polite and seemingly loyal.

Maybe Maol Chalvim had suspected the truth beneath his supposed innocence, or mayhap it was nothing more than plain jealousy since Constantine seemed to have a better relationship with his father than he did. Maol Chalvim had always been a bit more vicious and grim compared to his father, which had strained their father/son relationship somewhat. Either way, it had served Constantine's purpose superbly.

The sounds of a struggle were heard, as the guards entered the room with the prisoner in-between them, holding his arms securely.

Constantine smiled none too kindly at the son of his predecessor, as he was kicked behind the knee, forcing him to kneel on the floor. "Greetings, _My Prince_," he said, sneering.

The late Kenneth's heir glared at him with murder in his eyes. "You blackguard!" he swore. "How did your men find and invade my camp unseen?"

He chuckled. "I wish I could take the credit," he said honestly, as he pointed to the robed man in his presence. "This Mage here was kind enough to offer me his services in ending your little rebellion against _my_ rule. With his mystic knowledge, he was able to locate your army's camp and reveal its location to my men."

He resisted the urge to grimace, as he remembered what sort of enchantment the Mage had used to find the Prince's army. It had been some kind of second sight spell, involving the reading of goat's entrails.

"Then," he continued, "under a cover of darkness and fog that was also conjured up by him, my men were able to sneak in undetected. By the time your soldiers even realised they were there, the battle was already over."

Maol Chalvim hissed. "_Your_ rule? King Kenneth was my father! If the throne belongs to anyone, it belongs to _me_! Not a murdering Page!"

This was untrue, which Constantine couldn't help but be amused at, as the next true heir was Kenneth III whose father, King Duff, had been the first son of King Maol Chalvim I, Kenneth and the present Maol Chalvim's grandfather.

When Duff had died at the Battle of Gaine in 967 AD, his brother Kenneth II had become King simply because young Kenneth had only just been born when his father was slain. It was always intended for him to assume the throne once he became of age, but Kenneth had declined, preferring to leave his uncle in charge until he passed away, since he had long since proven to be a wise and just king.

Constantine wondered if Maol Chalvim had realised that even by some miracle if he were to defeat him, then he would still not get his throne, as it would be Kenneth's.

He struck out with his foot, kicking Maol Chalvim under the chin. "Know your place, _peasant_!" he told the former prince, anger in his eyes. "You forget that Kenneth stole the throne from my father, the true King of Scotland. I am merely taking back what is rightfully mine."

"Your father was a vicious and bloodthirsty tyrant!" Maol Chalvim countered, spitting blood at him. "And he got the throne from murdering my uncle King Duff if you recall! He got what was coming to him, and it wasn't as though my father were alone in planning his downfall. Nearly the whole of Scotland was behind him."

Constantine thinned his eyes at him. "Watch your tongue, Maol Chalvim! You've survived this long only because it suits me…and because I have a _very_ special fate in store for you."

The son of Kenneth looked up at him with defiance. "No matter what you do to me; our cause will live on, Constantine. The people of Scotland will never put up with a tyrant like you on their throne. Like your father before you, they will rally together and bring your reign of terror to an end!"

"We'll see," he replied, his eyes like ice. "In the meantime… Mage, if you would be so kind."

"My pleasure," the sorcerer complied, smiling darkly at the former prince kneeling on the floor.

Maol Chalvim didn't know what he was planning to do with him, but as a prince he was sworn to face whatever fate his enemies threw at him with courage, pride and honour. He held his chin up high, as the sorcerer looked at him with a grim smile.

"But first, one last thing," said the Mage, and retrieved from beneath his robe a long dagger.

The Prince hissed, as the sorcerer slit a small vein across his arm, drawing from it a trail of blood down his arm.

"What are you doing?" Constantine enquired curiously.

"Patience, My King," the Mage told him, as he took a small bottle, gathering the blood within it until it was full. "Now…I can truly begin."

With this, he reached into his robe and pulled out a small scroll, raised his arms and pointed toward the Prince.

"Morrigan, Queen of phantoms, Goddess of transformations, hear my summons," the Mage started chanting in ancient Gaelic, reading from the scroll. "Let loose thy tyranny, unleash thy power. Grant us this, thy magic to command, in the need of this hour!"

"Urgh!" Maol Chalvim cried out, as he felt his whole body go stiff.

As he looked down on himself, he saw what he at first thought was some kind of strange rash growing upon him. But, as he observed, he soon came to realise that this was no _rash_.

It started out at the base of his feet, like a grey shadow that quickly swarmed up past his ankles, covering both his feet, followed by his legs. Once the grey shadow had moved past whatever it had enveloped, he no longer had any feeling within them.

"AAARGHHH!" he screamed, as the shadow quickly spread throughout his entire body until only his head was left untouched.

"And have no fear, my valiant friend," Constantine smiled at him, as all of Maol Chalvim's flesh disappeared. "You will be put in a place of the highest honour…at the foot of my throne to rest my feet upon!"

"AAA…!" the Prince of Scotland's cries were cut short, as the greyness that had now completely covered his whole body painted over what remained of his head. Then…where once there had been a mortal man of flesh and blood, there now stood a stone-statue with a twisted expression of horror forever etched on its face.

The Mage dropped the scroll, which looked as if it were starting to crumble for some odd reason, to the floor.

"Very nice work," Constantine said approvedly. "My thanks to you, Great Mage. You have fulfilled your part of the bargain quite thoroughly."

The soldiers who had brought Maol Chalvim in all looked aghast at what had just happened, but kept silent, not wishing to anger their lord.

The Mage simply bowed, though he did so slowly, like he was tired. "As I expect you to fulfil yours, _King_ Constantine," he said.

Constantine looked a little apprehensive, but he nodded all the same, knowing better than to anger this particular sorcerer. He didn't know who he was, having never even heard a name from him, except for "Brother", but he knew enough to know the Mage's power was great. Any man would be a fool among fools to taunt him.

"Of course," he replied. "Just tell me a few things… The Lady Finella, where is she?"

"By the innards of your stock's goats, I tracked her to the camp of Maol Chalvim, but beyond that I do not know. We can only assume she must have fled when your army attacked."

"With Kenneth?"

He shrugged. "Possibly. I could use my mystics to find out, if you wish?"

'Anymore and I'll be running out of goats,' he thought, and shook his head. "No need," he said aloud. "She is only a woman, after all, and she has served her purpose. And what harm could she do?"

The sorcerer nodded.

"But Kenneth," he then added. "He is another matter. Even with his army all but defeated…as long as he still lives, the now last male heir of the family that usurped mine, he will continue to live as a threat to my crown. The sooner he is eliminated the better."

"You've forgotten something," the Mage then interrupted.

"What?"

"Kenneth is not the last male heir of his clan. He has a son, too, do not forget."

He scoffed. "A mere boy of ten years. Practically a wee babe he is. I hardly consider him a threat."

"You were a child yourself once when King Kenneth took you in, and look how that turned out."

He had to admit that he had him there. "True," he admitted. "In that case, I'll deal with him at the same time as his father."

"Agreed," the Mage replied. "But we need not concern ourselves with them for now. As you yourself just said, their armies are all but defeated. None of them are in any position to be a threat to you."

"What about Maol Chalvim's wife and heir…what of them?"

The Mage shook his head. "Maol Chalvim had no sons, only a daughter, the Princess Bethoc. He must have sent her away to some place where she and her mother would be safe, most likely England. They will be no more a threat to you than the bugs that crawl upon this land."

He laughed. "Perfect! Now, onto the other matter at hand. Your request for this…_book_ that you need. Where lies it?"

"The Grimorum Arcanorum lies in the undeserving hands of a young Magus I have heard living on the coast. The castle is called Wyvern…"

Constantine stopped him there. "I have heard of this place," he said. "The former King's niece and Maol Chalvim's cousin resides there. The place is absolutely swarming with Gargoyles! It's neither a fitting place for Kings or rats."

The Mage stared hard at him. "You _will_ take me to this place!" he stated.

Constantine paused for a moment. "I will honour the bargain between us," he promised. "But getting there will take some time. It is over a month's travel, even in the best of conditions. And lest not forget that it is still winter. The weather will be harsh…"

"I understand the hardships of winter, _King Constantine_!" the Mage told him, emphasising the title, hinting that he would not release Constantine from his oath. "But you _will_ get us there."

He felt a surge of rage within him, but fought it. "Of course," he again promised.

"It would be in your best interests to get us there as soon as possible," the Mage then added.

The new King of Scotland gave him a hard look of his own.

"What I mean," said the Mage after a moment, "is that the key to securing your right to the throne once and for all also lies within Wyvern, not to mention that you will be ridding Kenneth of any new allies that might turn the tide in the final battle."

He stared at him. "Explain?"

"Do not forget how your father, the great King Culen, was defeated. King Kenneth and his brothers fought alongside Gargoyles, the very Gargoyles whose descendants now inhabit Wyvern, which helped them to defeat and slay him. It would be in your best interests to deal with these creatures as fast as possible, My King, if only to ensure that history does not repeat itself."

Constantine fumed, but could not argue with the logic of the dark mystic.

"And then there is the Princess who lives there. She is related to the former King by blood, is she not?"

"Yes?"

"And she is unmarried?"

"As far as I know." Constantine frowned. He was actually a little curious about the kingdom Wyvern, as he remembered once, years ago, when the King had been most secretive about it. Apparently he had received a letter from his brother, the now deceased Prince Malcolm of Wyvern, with some distressing news of some sort. He hadn't discussed it with anyone, save his own kin. Even today, it was still a mystery.

He was beginning to regret having the Mage turn Maol Chalvim into stone before getting him to divulge that secret to him.

"Then this is ideal!" the sorcerer said confidently. "You take me to Wyvern, as part of the original agreement, and then once I get there and you take the castle as yours, I will have the Grimorum, and you can take the Princess… What is her name?"

"Katherine," he answered, his eyes lighting up, as he understood.

"With Princess Katherine, a woman of Kenneth's own blood, as your bride," the Mage explained. "Someone with whom to bear an heir with. No one could possibly deny you your right to the throne ever again. Remember, there will be many peasants who will defy you, as Kenneth II was a beloved ruler of the people. Especially since the next heir, Kenneth III, is still out there and is apparently as much of a beloved leader as his uncle was. But once he and his son are dead, the last of the male line of the Three Brothers, and with their cousin as your wife, none will dare!"

He nodded. "You have convinced me, Great Mage. We will start out for Wyvern in the morning. Guards! Make ready the horses and provisions for the journey!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," both the guards responded, saluting him and running out of the room, eager to be out.

"How soon can we expect to be there?" the sorcerer asked.

"Like I said," Constantine shrugged, "we are late in the seasons, so the weather is harsh. And the journey is several weeks long, even in the best of conditions. Not to mention there is also the risk of attack from rogues, bandits and, of course, Kenneth and Findlaech's followers, be there anymore. It may take as long as two months if we're unlucky."

"Then I don't want you to be delayed by me, Your Highness."

Constantine nodded respectfully, though the gesture was forced by the look of it, and left the room.

Once he was gone, Brother Valmont allowed himself to smile. It was a shame he needed that fool, but it was always a pleasure whenever he managed to scare him. The reason he had scared him this time was that Fortuna's blessing was something no mortal could be sure of forever, including himself.

He groaned a little, as he allowed himself to rest on the Royal throne for a moment. Casting a spell without a conduit, like the Grimorum, was exhausting work, not to mention dangerous. He had used the spell taken from an old magic book that he was found long ago. The book had been nowhere near the league of the Grimorum, but it was definitely a lot safer to read and cast a spell from that than attempting to cast it all by himself.

Without a conduit to fuel the magic needed to cast a spell, the spell would naturally seek out another power source to fuel it…namely the sorcerer's own life force. Small spells were no problem; they would leave him a little tired for a while, but otherwise do no permanent damage. But the greater the spell, the more the magic would drain him. Some sorcerers had even lost their lives, while trying to cast such spells with no source to fuel them.

He needed _his King_ to get to the Grimorum that all the auguries indicated was at Wyvern, and that the Magus was no doubt protecting heavily. Anyone who had the Grimorum in their possession was a dangerous adversary, even a mere fledging of a wizard. And the fact that the castle was guarded by Gargoyles only made it that much harder. So if he could make Constantine work faster by holding a carrot in front of his nose like the Jackass that he was, then so be it.

His own desire for this was nothing so profound as mere kingship, as it was true power that he sought. Power that only a conjunction of magical artefacts could bring him.

"The Grimorum has the power of ages within it, used by the greatest magicians of all time, from the First Mage of ancient Rome to Merlin of Camelot. It is the key," he whispered to himself. "Once I have it, the Phoenix Gate and the Eye of Odin will soon follow. And once I have all three combined, I will have what no sorcerer has had before, not even Merlin… Ultimate power!"

But this was still a long way off yet. For now, he needed Constantine to get him to the magic book, and once he had acquired the Grimorum he would simply kill him, and use the spells of the book to hide his trail from anyone or anything that might track him.

Fortuna was promising him everything he wanted, and he was willing to grab it.

0000000000

Constantine had only just turned off the corridor leading to his throne-room, when his name was spoken by one of his guards.

"My Lord," a young soldier with a rough Scottish tongue said. "This man and his boy claim they are here with your consent."

He looked behind the young guard and saw the two people he had been waiting for. "Yes, that will be all," he told the guard.

The soldier nodded, bowed and left.

"Welcome, Maíl Brigti," he greeted the man together with his young son, Gillecomgain. Both of them were dressed in tattered peasants' clothing, with dark blonde hair and hazel eyes.

"My thanks for your summons, My Liege," Mail Brigti said gratefully. "I hope my services will prove to be of value to you."

"I'm sure they will," he said with a false smile. Mail had actually sought him out when news of his reign had reached him, claiming that he wished to offer his services in honour of his new king, though Constantine knew what his real reasons were.

Mail Brigti was none other than Findlaech's half-brother, and the bastard son of their father Lord Ruaidri, the former High Steward of Moray.

Mail was the result of a passionate lust that his father had had with a lowly peasant woman. Despite her bearing his child, Ruaidri had no interest in marrying a woman of such a low estate, so he had opted to marry a noble woman instead, abandoning Mail and his mother. He had even left his title and everything to his second son, Findlaech Mac Ruaidrí, despite Mail being the firstborn.

Needless to say, Mail had ever since born a vicious vendetta against his younger brother, despite the fact that Findlaech had offered to share the estate with him, but Mail had no interest in sharing anything, wanting it all for himself.

Constantine didn't think Mail could be of any great asset to him, but he could certainly feel a kindred spirit in him, as like him he had been cheated out of his birthright, too. Plus, Mail was a fierce fighter, so if nothing else then he could at least be a good addition to his army.

"What's the matter with you, boy?" his guest suddenly snapped, belting the side of his son's head. "Don't you know it is customary to bow down to your king?"

Gillecomgain gave a short glare to his father, which he smartly covered up fast, and bowed respectfully before Constantine. "Your Majesty," he greeted.

Constantine nodded back at him. In truth, he didn't know why Mail had bothered to bring his son with him. The boy was obviously as soft as the baby smooth skin on him. His face showed no scars of battle, or his eyes any years of experience. He would be willing to bet that the closest this pup had ever been to battle, was scaring off a mangy dog attempting to steal food from their farm.

Still, he could always find some use for him.

"Grab yourselves a bite to eat," he told them, "and get ready for a journey. We'll be leaving before first light."

With that, he turned and made his way out, leaving behind two confused faces staring at his back.

0000000000

**Castle Wyvern; Same Time:**

Katherine turned over the next egg in the nest, which made it the fifth egg so far this night. The other Rookery Keepers were busy with their own eggs for the night.

She had now been an unofficial Keeper for about a month, and thankfully the other Keepers had finally ceased in their constant scrutiny and displeasure at seeing her within the clan's Rookery. So much so that they had allowed her to help take care of the other eggs, instead of one per night.

It was actually not all that bad being in the Rookery, now that she had had time to get used to it. At least it didn't require any backbreaking labour like she had gone through when walking the beasts. It was quiet, peaceful, and beyond the spying eyes of the gossiping maids up in the castle.

If only there was something she could do about the smell though, as the scent of rotten eggs and moss was forever in her hair and clothes now.

She finished turning the egg over, preparing to put it back down.

[CRACK!]

When she heard the crackling sound, she felt her heart freeze and her breath get caught in her throat… Had she broken the egg?

If she had done, then her days were numbered when the other Keepers found out.

"What was that?" the elder female, with the dirty grey hair and skin colour, demanded.

"I didn't do anything!" she insisted. "I was just turning it over and…"

"Be silent!" the female ordered her. That was when she suddenly realised that she wasn't talking to her specifically.

The rest of the keepers within the Rookery fell silent, none of them uttering a word or even daring to breathe.

[CCCRACK!]

The same crackling sound came as before, but this time it was followed immediately by another, and then another and another…until the whole cavern was filled with the sound.

Suddenly, the egg that she was holding within her arms wobbled, startling the Princess so much that she nearly dropped it.

Fortunately, the Keepers were too busy with…_other things_, to take notice of the lone Human within their midst.

Katherine swallowed, as multiple crack-lines started appearing all across the shell of the egg.

"Ohhh lord no," she breathed.

Just then, a tiny fist punched its way out through the shell, startling her yet again.

She wanted to put the egg down immediately, or give it to someone else to hold, but she had no time.

Once the fist had punched its way through, the rest of the egg lost its structure and crumbled away, leaving behind…a dark grey-skinned baby Gargoyle.

The infant sniffed at its surroundings, more precisely at her, probably wondering what she was, as it lay in her arms.

She could only stand there in shock, as she held the squirming little Hatchling.

"Uhhh, hello?" she asked no one in particular. "Could someone…please…_help_?"

The Keepers, however, were all too busy to notice her, as they began taking care of the newly hatched Gargoyles, and awaiting the ones that were even now still coming out of their shells.

Katherine didn't know what to do. Taking care of some oversized eggs was one thing, but how was she supposed to know how to take care of a baby Gargoyle?

The infant made tiny squawk-like noises, as it fussed about in her arms, wanting to explore. Something that she wouldn't have minded it doing, as long as it meant leaving her alone, but she doubted that the others would care for it.

Awkwardly, she grimaced as she held him close to her chest, remembering what her old nursemaid used to do for her when she was little. She tried humming to it, but all that seemed to do was make it fussier.

She looked around again, but the Keepers were all still too busy to take notice of her. They had barely gotten through even half of the new Hatchlings, and the rest still weren't fully hatched yet.

As she watched them though, she noticed that a lot of them were apparently…_purring_ to them?

She blinked. It was odd, but then again they were Gargoyles, so maybe purring was like humming to them.

She sighed in frustration, feeling ridiculous, but was willing to try anything to get the little monster to stop fidgeting. It had only just been hatched and it was already in the fighting mood. She could tell this one was definitely going to be a warrior.

Once again she held the little Gargoyle to her chest, but instead of humming this time, she tried purring…though from her it sounded more like she had a sore throat.

But despite her poor attempt at mimicking a Gargoyle's natural sounds, the infant almost immediately quietened down. It paused in its struggling, gazing up with its eyes full of curious wonder at the strange big thing that was holding it.

The baby Gargoyle was a male infant with dark grey skin, large fin-like ears similar to the big one of the Trio, a patch of blonde hair, and two large horns that curved all the way back over its head.

Its wings were very small, but she supposed that was to be expected, as Gargoyles, from what she knew, didn't start gliding until they were about twelve to fourteen years old (six to seven in Gargoyle years).

As she looked closer, she noticed that it bore a close resemblance to the Clan-Second, who she remembered the Captain and Brother Edmund often referring to as Othello, though its colouring was darker and its horns longer. As she recalled, his mate had horns and fair hair, similar to this infants. She wondered if that made this their child.

"A healthy young thing," a voice commented from behind her.

Turning around, she discovered a rookery mother who looked at her as much as at the young one.

"Yes," she admitted, rocking the hatchling in her arms, which now looked at the rookery mother in awe.

"Give him to me," the Gargess ordered, though in a mild tone.

Surprised that she actually felt reluctant to do so, the Human handed the curious hatchling over to the rookery mother who purred at him to keep him calm.

Behind the rookery mother, the Princess discovered that the rookery was rapidly filling with Gargoyles and beasts that walked in, chattering quietly amongst themselves. They smiled, looking at the newest members of the clan, having been informed by one of the rookery keepers.

"Will his parents be here soon?" she asked.

"Most already are," the Gargess replied.

"I know," she said, looking around. "What I mean is..."

"Yes, I know," the Gargess replied firmly, without raising her voice, beginning to fondle the hatchling's stomach. "But this is not our way. Daughters and sons belong to the _whole_ clan, not just two of them. _That_ is the Gargoyle way."

She wanted to ask more, but the firm look in the eyes of the Gargess made her stop, feeling suddenly tired when she realised that she had forgotten for a moment how..._different_ these beings were.

"You can go up and take free the rest of the night," the rookery mother told her, seeing the tiredness in her eyes, just to add with some sarcasm. "We have enough of the clan here to help take care of the hatchlings...even some for the other nights."

Katherine's initial feeling was a need to protest, but it stopped once she asked herself why exactly she would want to.

'Don't be stupid,' she told herself, as she went up the path leading out of the rookery. 'You don't care for them. They are beasts, they…they...'

Strangely enough, for once Katherine couldn't find a bad image of them in her mind, as all she could see in her mind were the innocent eyes of the hatchling that she had just taken care of.

0000000000

**Two Weeks Later:**

"Hold still, you little bug," said Katherine, her voice stressed.

It seemed to be of no avail, as the hatchling in front of her, with the striking resemblance to the clan's Second, cooed happily while moving his tail back and forth, effectively preventing the Human from placing it within the changing rag, as she held his two legs at the same time.

Suddenly, a tail with a small bush of white hair at its end appeared over the hatchling's face, distracting him long enough to let her put the changing rag on him.

"Thank you," she said gratefully.

"No problem," the Gargess replied with a smile. "You do this good...better than some others..."

She took a look at one of her rookery brothers, a beaked male with horns; one of which was malformed, and who right now was busy with cleaning another hatchling. Or rather he seemed busy with looking disgusted at the changing rag he had managed to get off, and at the same time overly desperate to finish the task.

More of the clan had started coming to the Rookery, to help with the newly hatched eggs.

"I have observed how the maids handle their children," replied Katherine, not going in for the praise, even though it strangely felt good. "I noticed that they become more vivid each day...err, night."

They moved to the more central part of the rookery where its ground had been softened by some straw, which served as a playground, or rather a _lying_ ground for the hatchlings.

"Yes, they will probably learn to crawl soon," the Gargess added thoughtfully, as Katherine laid the hatchling on the ground near his siblings. "That always comes too soon I believe."

"Ye may say that, daughter," a grey bearded elder with faded red skin commented with a slight laugh. "Ye and yuir rookery siblings were the worst as I remember."

Loud good-hearted laugher broke out, and even the two Gargbeasts sitting beside the Gargoyles joined in with happy barks.

Unfortunately, one of the hatchlings seemed to mind the laughter, or just the lack of attention paid to him even if just for a moment, and he began to cry, with his siblings quickly joining out of solidarity.

Their rookery parents were quick to act, as they picked them up and hugged them, the loudest one first, then the one who seemed to cry without much conviction. Even the beast-hounds helped out by licking the faces of some of the little ones.

From a little off to the side, the Gargoyle with the malformed horn tried to do the same with the hatchling he had finally managed to fix the changing rag on. Though from the way he looked, one would think that he was the one who needed to be calmed down.

The excitement was quickly quelled, however, for the green female hatchling he was looking after, whose forehead showed first signs of a crest, wouldn't let herself be calmed, as the rookery father who held her hummed and moved.

"Let me try," Katherine offered, noticing that the crying of the green hatchling with the brown hair threatened to upset her siblings once more.

The rookery father gave her a short look, but then handed his daughter over to her, who held her in such a way that she could look at her while beginning to sing.

"Rose and daisy, lily and pansy..." she sang, which strangely enough seemed to work, making the hatchling stop crying and begin to look at the Human in wonder.

"Well," the Gargess with the bush at the end of her tail added, as Katherine handed the hatchling back to its rookery father. "You _are_ good at this. Did your..." She paused, trying to remember what it was that Humans called their female sires. "…Did your _mother_ teach you that song?"

"My nursemaid," Katherine remembered, suddenly looking very thoughtful. "My mother died when I was born."

"Oh yes," the Gargess suddenly remembered, having forgotten. "Sorry."

She shrugged. "It was not your fault. She couldn't be there when I was growing up, but when I have children I will..."

She suddenly fell silent, as did everyone else with her in the cave, except for the hatchlings that were watching their elders and each other with delight. Everyone understood at that moment that this was a very private matter for Wyvern's Princess.

'I will never have children of my own, ' she realised suddenly. 'Only if it is with Goliath, but the chances of that are...'

"You can go up now, child," the grey bearded elder said, as if he could read her thoughts. "The rest of the night is free."

0000000000

An hour later, from beyond the castle walls, across the plains of the fields and forest, a lone woman was desperately making her way towards the castle on horseback.

She was clothed in a simple pale-blue dress, one of the few garments that she had left, as she had had to flee her home shortly after Constantine had come to power.

Lady Finella gasped hoarsely, her throat feeling like it was on fire. She had rarely stopped to rest or even to quench her thirst throughout her entire journey. Her body was now all skin and bones from weeks of lack of proper nourishment, her dress practically in rags, and her eyes were dark and swollen with bags under them.

She had to keep biting her lower lip to keep herself from passing out right there and then on her horse, as it charged toward the castle gates.

After Constantine had killed King Kenneth and quickly ascended the throne, it hadn't taken Finella long to figure out that he had no intention of keeping his promise to wed her. In fact, from the moment when he had been crowned King, she had feared for her very life.

It was no secret that he had murdered the King; as everyone knew that, but now that he was King, Constantine no longer had any use for her. He had used her merely so that he could get King Kenneth alone to slay him. That was all. He had never loved her.

She had had no time to weep for her lost love, though. Fearing for her life, she had fled the castle. She had hoped to reach the frontier and be safe in England from Constantine's forces, but she had never made it that far.

Kenneth's son, Prince Maol Chalvim, had been in hiding from the false King, along with a small army of his most loyal Scotsmen. Constantine had had his soldiers scour the entire countryside to try and find him, but instead they found her.

Fortunately, Maol Chalvim's men had been nearby and were able to rescue her from them. Once Constantine's men were dealt with, they had brought her before the Prince, and filled with guilt she had confessed her unwitting part in his father's murder and begged for his forgiveness.

Maol Chalvim had been angry to say the least, and she feared he would simply slay her right there. Luckily, though, his cousin Prince Kenneth was there, and had convinced him to spare her, reminding him how devious and full of trickery Constantine was. In the end, Maol Chalvim had begrudgingly agreed, as he knew her well enough to know that she would not have willingly played any part in such a black-hearted deed.

Kenneth had offered to help her escape Scotland by crossing her over the frontier into England, but she had refused.

The Princes had partly freed her of her guilt, and in her mind she owed them both a debt because of that. But more so because, since Maol Chalvim had no contempt for her, she had been given the chance to help bring Constantine to justice, and at the same time get her revenge against him. So she had decided to stay and help with the rebellion in any way she could.

Alas, the rebellion had lasted not much longer than a mere month. No one knew where the man in the green robe had come from, as the strange sorcerer had appeared out of nowhere. They later learned that he had apparently offered his services to Constantine, and no one had been more amazed than Maol Chalvim when he had actually accepted his help. Constantine had always shown an intense dislike for the mystic arts. Then again, his one true love had always been power, and having this sorcerer around had certainly gained him strength.

With the Mage's help, he had all but crushed the rebellion in as short a time as it took to plough a field. And the night when his army had attacked their camp, Maol Chalvim had given her a horse, ordering her to ride forth to Castle Wyvern where his cousin, Princess Katherine, resided, to warn her of the impending danger.

The castle was nearly a month's journey away, made even longer because of having to avoid Constantine's forces, but Finella knew she had no choice. The rebellion was now gone, and she didn't even know what had become of Maol Chalvim or Prince Kenneth, and only the Princess's kingdom was still free from Constantine's rule…for now.

So she had spent over a month riding horseback towards the ocean where Castle Wyvern was located. She had ridden her horse hard, rarely stopping, not even to relieve herself, and now finally it seemed her journey was at an end.

Finella reached the castle-gates, and tried to call out to the guard, but was unable to do so because of her raw throat.

"_Who goes there_?" a man's voice yelled down to her.

Seeing as she could not answer him, all she could was look up and try to speak, her voice choking as she did. Finally, after over a month of intense riding and sheer exhaustion, her body could take no more…and she fell off her horse, unconscious.

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Katherine stood on one of the wall-walks, staring out on the black ocean. Part of her wanted to sleep, yet her thoughts, and of course her biorhythm that had switched over the last few months to a life centred to the night, wouldn't allow this.

Her body's sleep-pattern was not the only thing that seemed to have changed.

"The sea is calm tonight," a deep voice spoke from behind her.

"I'm always surprised how different the sea looks at night," she said, not turning around, despite being once again surprised at how stealthy the Gargoyles could be. "It's almost vivid."

There were some seconds of silence.

"But for you it is natural, isn't it?" she said.

"Yes," the voice replied.

More seconds of silence passed.

"I heard you did well at the rookery tonight," Goliath finally added.

Katherine remained silent for a moment.

"I won't be able to have children," she noted, irritated. "I knew this the night we were married, but tonight, I have finally accepted it."

She waited a second longer to add something else.

"And neither can you," she added. "If I'm right about you and your kind, you have never produced an egg with any of your clan's females, and there is very little doubt that you and I will ever be able to conceive an heir together."

She couldn't help but shudder and blush a little at her own words, as the thought of them trying to _conceive_ sent shivers through her. Goliath didn't mention if he had noticed this.

"Maybe, but this is not the way of my kind," he said with a sigh, deciding it wasn't the time to tell her that some unmated Gargoyles mated simply when the clan needed hatchlings. "But I have children, just..."

"... Just not of your flesh and blood," she said, turning around and facing him, making him notice that her eyes were slightly moist with tears. "But for my kind, that is our way. When we bear children, then that means that there will be some part of us that will continue to live on long after we have departed." She looked back on the sea, sniffing slightly, as she rubbed her eyes.

"I always imagined," she continued, "that one day I would have children of my own who I would give the kind of childhood that I never had with my own mother. And they would carry on my family's traditions…to rule this castle as I have done, and my father before me…to be my…_my_ _legacy_."

She then looked down at the rocks on the beach. "But it's never going to happen, is it? There has never been any knowledge of a Human and Gargoyle, such as we, bearing children together, and it's doubtful there ever will be."

Goliath remained silent while looking at her, finding this harder than anything he had ever done before. He was unsure if he should reach out and comfort her, considering her feelings for him, but before he could decide, a guard appeared, running down the wall-walk to them.

"My lord... Umm, Princess..." he stopped under the eyes of the Human and the Gargoyle, still not knowing whom to address as the rightful ruler, and realising that he must have interrupted something between them. "A woman has just come to the gate. She says she is of King Kenneth's court, and has news for the ruler of this castle. She looks as though she has been hurt."

Goliath gave Katherine a look, seeing in her eyes that she had no intention to discuss the topic further now.

"We will come," he informed the young guard.

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The young woman lay on the small bed within one of the castle's guestrooms, the Magus checking her symptoms.

Finella's eyes fluttered open in a daze of half-consciousness. She had awakened just briefly to tell the guards who found her where she came from, but was finding it hard to stay awake.

"Your body has gone through a most strenuous time, my lady," the Magus said, as he bathed her forehead with a damp cloth. "You will need many weeks rest before you can even _attempt_ to walk again."

"No…" Finella moaned, her eyes forcing themselves open. "No…time… Must… speak…with…the Princess…"

"She will be here soon," he assured her, as he poured some herbal medicine into a cup and held it to her lips.

No sooner had he said that, the door flung open, and the castle's two respective rulers entered, first Goliath and then Katherine.

"How fair's our guest?" Goliath asked.

The Magus sighed. "I am giving her some herbs that should help speed her recovery, but she will need at least several weeks of rest before she is even half well again. The state she is in, it is a miracle she is not dead. She looks as though she has not eaten properly in weeks."

"When she is awake, have the kitchen bring up all the food she can digest," Katherine ordered.

"No…wait…" Finella's voice whispered.

Goliath came slowly forward, leaning down to speak to her. "I am Goliath, Prince and Monarch of this castle. This is my wife, the Princess Katherine. Who are you and what do you wish here?"

Finella gasped, though it was not in shock at seeing the large Gargoyle before her. In the state she was in, it was doubtful she could even see the giant beast clearly before her.

"I am…Finella…" she breathed, "…once of…King Kenneth's court."

"The King?" Katherine said, coming forward. "Did my uncle send you here?"

She carefully shook her head. "Nay… The King…is no more."

Katherine gasped, and hers was one definitely of shock. "My uncle…? Dear God, say it is not so!"

Finella wheezed and gasped. "I only …wish it were…" She paused, as the Magus poured a little more of his medicine into her mouth, moisturising her throat. "The King was murdered…by Lord Constantine…more than two and a half months ago."

"Two months?" Katherine exclaimed. "Why am I only hearing of this just now?"

"Prince Maol Chalvim issued a rebellion against Constantine…" she continued. "The war had not been going well… Many people have been unable to…escape."

"We are rather isolated out here, Princess," the Magus suggested. "If the war is as bad as she makes it out to be, it is possible no one was able to come warn us about it, as anyone could have been killed in the crossfire once they attempted to travel the roads."

"What of Maol Chalvim?" Katherine suddenly urged. "How fair's my cousin?"

Finella, as well as looking pained and exhausted, now also looked grieved. "Your cousin, the Prince, fought valiantly, but… Constantine had help."

The princess's face fell. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know…what happened to him…" she admitted. "But Constantine had some help…from a Mage who came to him, offering his assistance… With his magic, he was able to locate our camp and…_end_ the rebellion."

"My cousin?" Katherine repeated, looking fearful. "What happened to him?"

She shook her head. "I don't know… When Constantine's forces attacked us, both your cousins sent me away to come here…to warn you of the coming danger."

Katherine put her hand to her mouth, stifling back a gasp and a tear. "_Both _my cousins?" she asked.

"Aye…Prince Kenneth…he and the…High Steward of Moray…Lord Findlaech…had joined the battle…I know not what became of them either."

Katherine looked close to tears, making the Magus wish he could go over and attempt to comfort her, but someone had already done so.

Goliath rested his huge claw gently upon her shoulder, looking at her with his large dark eyes, full of sympathy. "If your cousins still live," he vowed, "then we _will_ find and rescue them. Just as my clan did all those years ago when Wyvern was first born. I give you my oath."

She sniffed, and nodded her thanks to him.

The Magus felt a brief surge of jealousy run through him, but suppressed it, knowing that now was not the time to let the green-eyed monster overtake him.

"Do you know if Constantine's army is on their way here?" Goliath then asked Finella.

She just shook her head again. "I fled as soon as they attacked the Prince's camp... As far as I know…they might be right behind me."

He frowned. "I'll have some of my warriors glide out to scout for any sign of them. We'll have two of my clan on watch-duty at night, and two of your guards during the day. Have them set out near the hills. The view from there will give them an advantage."

"I concur," Katherine agreed.

"What else can you tell us?" he questioned her. "What about this Mage that Constantine has serving him? Are they _that_ loyal to him?"

"I don't know, but…" She frowned.

"What?"

"I don't know if this is important, but…" Finella wheezed, feeling dizzy again. "But it was always…_peculiar_ to us that Constantine would ally himself…with a sorcerer… For he has never shown… any respect for those skilled in the mystic arts… It is a well known fact about that, yet…this Mage came forth to offer his services, and as far as anyone knows…he has yet to benefit from it."

"Anything…until now," the Magus added out loud.

"What are you saying, Magus?" Katherine asked her closest friend.

"The only thing worth taking sides for him is here," he replied. "A source of nearly limitless magical power..."

"The Grimorum!" Goliath and Katherine both stated simultaneously.

"Exactly," he said worriedly. "The power in its pages is legendary. Sorcerers for years on nearly every continent have strived to steal it and make its power their own. To be honest, I have been expecting someone or another to attempt stealing it someday. The only reason I can fathom why they have not done so already, is most likely because he fears me and its power too much."

At their strange looks, he added. "No matter whom this man is, or how powerful he may be… As long as someone has the Grimorum with them at all times, then even an apprentice sorcerer could defeat this so-called Mage easily enough."

"What can you tell us about this sorcerer?" Goliath asked Finella, but by then she was already unconscious.

"She needs rest, Goli… My Liege," Magus corrected himself, still finding it hard to address the Gargoyle as such. "Her body is almost completely worn out."

"Very well," he agreed. "Inform me immediately when she is well enough to talk again. We need to know everything she knows about Constantine and this sorcerer of his."

The Magus nodded.

"In the meantime, I will have two of my warriors dispatched to the hills where they can keep watch. Katherine, summon the Captain and have him pick out his two best men to watch during the day."

Katherine agreed, and left to go find him.

"Magus." Goliath then turned to the castle's sorcerer. "Once you are finished tending to our guest, I want you to go down to your room and search through the Grimorum for every spell, charm, ritual and enchantment that you think might aid us in the coming battle. Fighting against ruffian Vikings is one thing, but we are talking about possibly going against the whole army of Scotland! We would not last long with those sorts of odds against us. If Constantine's men were to fail, he would just send out for more, and we would run out of supplies long before then."

He nodded. "As you command."

"And someone send for my Second at once!"

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**Few Minutes Later: **

Othello hurried to one of the guestrooms that the human soldier had directed him to, as per the instructions of his leader. He soon found Goliath awaiting him by the door.

"Goliath?" he asked. "What ails thee?"

"I need you to do something for me, brother. We have received news that the castle may be prone to attack, but this time not from mere Vikings…but rogue Scotsmen who seek to steal our home."

"What do you need?" he said with thin eyes, his blade as always thirsty for battle.

"Find the fastest glider in our clan, and send him or her to our sister clan," Goliath told him. "If we are to even hope of winning the coming battle, we are going to need all the help we can get."

"At once!"

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**Three Hours Later: **

Katherine once more stood at the battlements, her eyes staring far out over the sea, as she listened to the waves crashing against the shore and rocks.

Her thoughts were once more in turmoil and distress; though this time they were not because of her being unable to bear children.

"Katherine?"

She jumped slightly at Goliath's voice. "I will never get used to how you Gargoyles can do that," she told him. "Truly you move with the grace and stealth of a cat."

He smiled. "You should see how my brother with the malformed horn moves…especially when our elders are looking for him to do some work."

She smiled for a moment, but it did not last.

Her husband looked at her sadly. "I am sorry about your uncle, Your Highness."

She looked surprised at him, as that was the first time he had called her by such in months. "It… It was inevitable, I suppose."

At Goliath's curious stare, she sighed. "I know of Constantine, though I have never met him. My father told me how he was the son of the tyrant King Culen. My uncle took him in as his Ward after he was made king. My father and many at Court all disagreed with his decision, but he was adamant." She smiled bitterly. "My uncle always had too large of a heart for others."

"Perhaps he thought that by taking in his enemy's son, he could end the circle of bloodshed," Goliath thought out loud, "to prevent him from taking out his vengeance and bringing more misery."

"And look how wonderful _that_ turned out!" she scoffed. "Despite my uncle's kindness, Constantine still ended up killing him and stealing his throne, and now all of Scotland may pay for my uncle's mistake!"

She breathed heavily, while he merely stayed silent, giving her a moment to calm down.

"If he had just killed him when he had the chance, none of this would have happened," she stated.

"Perhaps," he replied. "But, personally, I have never believed that the ends justify the means."

"What do you mean?" she said, looking to him.

"How old was Constantine when his father was slain and Kenneth took him in?"

She shrugged. "He had just been born," she replied, "at least as far as I know."

"So your uncle was faced with the decision of whether to slay an innocent infant, or simply banish him to a land where he would probably be forced into a life of slavery or beggary?" he deduced, looking at her expectantly.

She paused, at a loss for words. "Umm, I suppose, but…" She frowned and then looked angrily at him. "Look, considering what Constantine has done and what he is now doing, it would have been better for us all if he had suffered the life of a beggar!"

"Maybe, but your uncle did not know that. All he saw was an innocent child whose life he was forced to decide upon." He stared hard at her. "Let me ask you something, Katherine… If you were forced to choose the fate of a baby, whether it be death or a life of starvation and no love…which would you choose?"

Katherine said nothing, her face a complete blank.

Goliath shrugged his massive shoulders. "There is no contest, is there? No one with even half a soul or heart could make a decision like that with a clear conscience. Your uncle knew that, which was why he chose to raise Constantine himself." He shrugged again. "Maybe he was wrong, but you can not blame him, considering what choice he was faced with."

"I don't!" she said, sounding shocked. "I don't blame him. He was…he…." Her voice started to break. "He was such a kind old man."

Goliath reached out to her, and she didn't resist as he pulled her to him, embracing her in his arms and wings.

"It's just so unfair!" she sobbed.

"I know," he said truthfully. "We Gargoyles have lost many of our loved ones to battle, so we know all too well the pain of loss. Some we have said goodbye to have been no older than those of the young pranksters."

He was, of course, referring to the seven youths of the Trio and the Wild Four, but Katherine knew that already, yet took no umbrage at the mention of them this time.

"Sometimes, life can be unfair," he told her. "It can be promising and joyful one moment, and the next painful and full of grief. No one knows what the next night will bring. All we can do is await each outcome and face it as we do with a battle."

He looked down on her, raising a talon to gently wipe away the tear rolling down her cheek. "But as long as we never forget those who are taken, then they can never truly leave us…ever."

She sniffed a tear back, but still said nothing. She simply laid her head on his chest, continuing to weep silently, for once enjoying the full embrace his large arms and wings offered her.

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**Three Days Later:**

From beyond the few hills that surrounded the kingdom of Wyvern, anyone who was close by would have thought that thunder was approaching…only to be thrown into shock when they saw the real cause. For the thunder was the vibrations made by what looked like at least a hundred Scottish soldiers, most likely more, as they marched their way across countryside.

At the head of the army rode the new self-appointed King of Scotland, Constantine III, with his personal Mage riding beside him.

"What can you tell us about Wyvern and its defences?" Brother Valmont asked.

Constantine gave him a side-glance. A huge part of him would like nothing more than to take his sword and ram it down this Mage's throat, but he knew to attempt such a thing would be unwise…especially against a sorcerer.

"I can not say," he admitted. "As I told you, I have never been here before. I only know what I know from what the people in Kenneth's Court have told me. I know that they have Gargoyles nesting there, and that their castle is located at the edge of the cliffs, which should count in our favour. With their castle being so cut off, they would not have long before their reserves ran out."

Valmont snorted. "Sounds about right, but what good is that, should the Gargoyles slaughter us all?"

Constantine gripped his sword-handle. "They will not get the chance."

"Have you ever even faced a Gargoyle before, _My Lord_," the green-clad Mage almost sneered. "No matter what their size, Gargoyles are extremely vicious warriors. Very few men have ever fought one and survived."

"You do not have to tell me about that, Mage," Constantine hissed lowly. "My father's demise is proof enough of that. But no matter! We have my near whole army at my command. What more do you want?"

"Beware your pride, My King," he warned him. "Make no mistake in a Gargoyle's capabilities. They are most fearsome creatures."

"Perhaps." Constantine shrugged. "Either way, we will find out tomorrow when we reach Wyvern!"

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**Next Night; Beyond Castle Wyvern:**

The hours of the long night were finally drawing to an end, as the stars were slowly fading, and the horizon turned from black to grey and then to gold. Dawn would be with them in just over another hour.

"The soldiers are finally here," one of the two Gargoyles on watch-duty said, the one with the malformed horn, pointing to a couple of Wyvern's guards approaching on horseback. The two Gargoyles had spent most of the entire night resting on the branches of several trees, keeping their eyes peeled for the supposedly approaching army that Goliath had warned them all about.

"Bout time, too," the other one grumbled. He was a large rust-red coloured Gargoyle with two exceedingly long horns coming right out the front of his forehead. "Any longer and we'd be spending the day here. And my tail is killing me!"

The one with the malformed horn, who was of course Thersities, snorted. "How do you think I feel? _I_ didn't even want to come!"

His rookery brother sneered. "That is hardly news to us, my brother. You _never_ want to come to work."

Thersities was about say something further on that, when something else caught his eye.

"Err, brother?" he said unsurely. "Maybe it's just the long hours of the night talking, but…since when does the ground move?"

"What are you talking about, you batty… "He stopped, as he looked to where Thersities was staring at. "By the Dragon…"

"What is it?"

"Trouble," he replied, and stretched out his wings. "Come!"

The two of them spread out their wings and glided down to where the two soldiers were approaching.

"Save yourselves the trouble, friends!" the red one shouted down to them. "We've just seen them! Constantine's forces are on their way! Head back towards the castle if you want to save your hides!"

The men needed no further encouraging at that point, and twisted their horse's reigns to the side, galloping them back to Wyvern as fast as their horse's hooves would allow them.

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**Castle Wyvern; An Hour Later:**

From the courtyard of Castle Wyvern, there were all sorts of shouts and panicked screams coming from all around.

"How far are they?" Goliath demanded from the two Gargoyles he had sent to watch out for Constantine's army.

"Not far, Goliath," Thersities told him. "Barely a few hours away."

"Captain!" he ordered. "Make sure everyone's in the castle, and then seal it. No one is to enter or leave."

The Captain nodded.

"My clan and I must rest soon." Goliath frowned, as he saw the remnants of the night fading fast. "Brother, have our clan come down here into the courtyard. We will rest here for the day, in case Constantine decides to attack. Have the Hatchlings down in the Rookery where it is safest. I'd rather us not being in a direct path of their arrows and such when we awaken."

Thersities nodded and did as he was told, running on all fours to the nearest staircase up to the battlements.

"Constantine most likely won't attack until later," the Captain noted. "At least not until his men have rested from their long journey. Sleepy soldiers make lousy warriors, after all."

"Maybe, but he knows about my kind," Goliath added. "He knows that if he were to breach the castle before nightfall, he could rid this castle of some of its most needed warriors."

"They won't get the chance to," the Captain vowed to his prince in a short breath. "You can be certain of that, my friend."

He gave a small smile as gratitude, but still kept most of his stoic serious look. "The second that night falls, have the Magus meet me. I wish to discuss any spells that he may know of that could aid us in the coming battle."

"As you wish."

A few moments later, the rest of Goliath's clan all glided down to the courtyard. And as he prepared to take his morning stance, Goliath noticed, with some rather large surprise, the Princess at the door to the Rookery?

He watched her as she stood at the door, hurrying the Hatchlings in, and making occasional glances down the small stairwell into the cavern below the castle, as though looking for someone…or _checking_ on someone.

The sun then rose, freezing a look of surprise and utter wonder on the clan-leader's face for the whole day.

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**Two Hours Later;**

**Beyond The Forest:**

Constantine sat astride his horse, as he waited for his scouting party to return from their mission. Soon enough, the three men approached.

"What did you find out?" he demanded.

"The castle is as we have heard, My Liege," one of the men reported. "It is sited right at the cliffs, so there is only the one way to gain entrance."

"What of its defences?" He frowned. "And what of these Gargoyles I have heard so much about? Are they there?"

"We could not see any, Your Majesty," another one of the three explained. "But then again, it is daytime. If the stories be true then Gargoyles should be asleep in stone by now…"

"Of course they are true!" the sharp voice of the Mage snapped. "Honestly! Don't your men know anything? I know Gargoyles are not common in your part of the country, but they are not exactly unheard of!"

Constantine hissed below his breath.

The scouting party trembled a little at the sight of the Mage. Although he appeared to be nothing but a man with a love for green clothing, they knew he was anything but…especially after what he did to the former Prince Maol Chalvim.

"Go on with your report," Constantine told them.

"The castle-walls are high and well built, Sire," the third man added. "No doubt because of its night-time inhabitants. And this gives them a perfect tactical and defence advantage."

"Especially during the night," the sorcerer Valmont mused. "All the more reason why you should attack now and be done with it! During the day the Gargoyles are stone, so their castle will be more vulnerable. Come night, the castle will have at least as twice as many warriors, half of which will be vastly superior in strength and speed compared to you and your men!"

"My men have just spent over a month marching over numerous miles of rugged land!" Constantine countered. "They are weak and tired. It would be plain foolishness to attack now when they are so weary. And even if they could…even without the so-called help of these demons, it sounds like this castle has more than enough strength to keep us at bay for the time being. It will take time for us to weaken its defences and cross its walls, even with the aid of an army."

"So you're just going to attack at night then?" Valmont said, amazed at the stupidity of the man.

"Not if I have a choice, no!" He glared at the wizard who was really starting to grate his nerves. "But either way, my men are too weak to fight now. I need them rested and fully revitalised when we do attack. I will go to Wyvern myself and offer the Princess a choice… Either she comes with us peacefully and becomes my Queen, or we attack. With any luck, she will be as weak-willed as her uncle when considering the safety of her subjects."

"And suppose she doesn't? She could just send the Gargoyles to hunt us down!"

He almost sneered at him. "As great a warriors as these Gargoyles may be, or as you make them out to be, it is doubtful they would stand much of a chance against _all_ of my men together."

"Gargoyles have the advantage of the sky, they are larger, stronger and more agile. And never forget that there is a whole clan of them behind those walls."

"Well then," said Constantine, looking at him hard. "I guess it's up to you. If you want that precious book of yours so bad, then you had better find a way for me to get into that castle safely."

Valmont glared at him, but nodded. "Fortunately, I prepared for such an eventuality. Go then, if you wish, and make your plea bargain with the Princess. If she refuses, I will be ready."

Constantine nodded his approval, and the Mage went back into his tent.

"Must we put up with that servant of Satan much longer?" Mail Brigti, who had been listening in on the conversation, asked his King in frustration.

"Show some respect, Mail Brigti," Constantine said, seemingly rebuking him. "After all, without his aid my men would never have tracked down and crushed Maol Chalvim's rebellion as quickly as we did. We do owe him a debt. Or at least…until _after_ we have the Princess at my side."

He gave a thin smile. "Actually, Mail," he said, suddenly addressing the peasant with the noble blood in his veins. "I want you to do something for me."

"What, My King?"

"Well, actually it is your son I want to do something for me more than anything."

Meanwhile, Brother Valmont brooded as he overlooked the tents of the army, staying far away from the crowd.

He had no doubt that Constantine was already planning to stab him in the back once he had fulfilled his part of the bargain. Yet, he was no foolish old man placing his trust blindly in someone who could become dangerous to him… In fact, he placed no trust at all in the greedy king.

While the dust of the battlefield and its confusion would still be racing, he would make his move…and then Constantine would serve him!

The green Mage smiled under his hood. He had always preferred to ride on the back of Jackasses than horses.

"Err, sir?" a youthful voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

He turned around and saw a lad in his early teens, with dark blonde hair and hazel eyes, staring back at him with wide fearful eyes.

"What is it?" he snapped.

Gillecomgain swallowed. He had never met a real sorcerer before, only heard tales about them…none of them good. Most of the stories ended with the sorcerer cursing someone or another.

"His Majesty, K-k-k-King Constantine, sent me," he stuttered. "Since I am too young to serve in his Majesty's army, he decreed that I am to serve you."

Valmont's eyes widened at the boy, and then angrily glared at the upstart king who was discussing battle-tactics with his men, but could guess that he was snidely grinning at him behind his back.

"I need no servants!" he snarled at the boy.

Gillecomgain felt almost relief at the Mage's words, as he wanted nothing more than to take his leave of him, yet he remembered his King's words…

"_Stay close to him and report to me any of his doings!" _

The King had no trust of the Mage, and so he had instructed Gillecomgain to act as the sorcerer's servant, to report any and all of his activities, in case he planned to betray him.

Although he knew he should feel pride at having been given such an important task by his King, as his father would say, Gillecomgain couldn't help but feel nervous whenever he was near the wizard. Still, he knew he could not go back without anything to report.

"The King said I should help you with anything you should require," he told him. "He was most adamant in that."

Valmont glared at him, contemplating whether to turn the boy into a toad, or simply kick him in the shins and send him on his way.

"I told you I have no need…!" He paused.

It was true that he had no need of any servants, especially when the servant was no doubt a spy sent by Constantine…but there was a chance that the boy could prove to be useful.

If anything went wrong with Constantine's plans to attack Castle Wyvern, or if there was a chance that he would need a scapegoat, someone to distract whoever might be guarding the Grimorum or such…then this boy might prove to be of some use after all.

Frowning, he grumbled under his breath. "Very well then," he said. "Go into my tent and half fill the cauldron in there with water, and build a fire!"

Gillecomgain didn't know whether to feel relief or dread, but did as he was told, hurrying to the wizard's tent.

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**A Few Hours Later (Next Day); **

**Castle Wyvern:**

"I don't like this," one of the archers said to his comrade.

"Me neither," the other replied, checking if his helmet was sitting right for the third time in five minutes.

An hour ago, a large part of Constantine's army had moved away from their camp, beyond the forest, and come up to the gates of Castle Wyvern where they were even now waiting, quite possibly to be let in. But they would have a long wait before Princess Katherine would ever willingly allow the followers of her uncle's murderer entry into her castle, despite the rules of war that allowed messengers to pass through unharmed.

Both of the archers were still feeling the impact of the large boulder that the Viking catapult had hurled at them all those months ago. They had both been standing at the battlements that night, along with the rest of their brother soldiers, to defend their home, and thus remembered how close they had come to dying that evening.

Now there was, once again, an army at the gate, one that was close to the same size as that of the previous invaders, and this wasn't even the full army. And this time, nightfall was many hours away.

Needless to say, the two archers and every other soldier in the castle were feeling pretty anxious.

"Be calm, lads," the Captain told them, as he came up to the battlements to inspect his soldiers. "Don't be disheartened. The battle has not even begun yet, and we have many things that their army has not."

He was about to say something else to give them assurance, and gain some courage, when…

"There!" another archer exclaimed, pointing to the head of the army where three men were even now receding from the main bulk of their armed forces. They rode up, side by side, toward the castle on horseback, and soon came to a halt at half the distance between the army and the castle. The one in the middle raised his voice to the guards on the battlements.

"I DEMAND TO SPEAK WITH PRINCESS KATHERINE!" the rider shouted.

"Bet you do," the Captain noted sarcastically. He had never met the arrogant-looking man before, but could guess who he was by the crown that rested on his head, as could the person behind him.

"Here I am!" Katherine replied loudly and clearly, stepping forward from behind the Captain, looking down from the battlements. "What demands does the murderer of my uncle give?"

Constantine remained silent for a moment, eyeing the Princess dangerously.

"As your _**rightful**_ King, I command you to surrender this castle to me!" he replied, ignoring her accusation. "For the sake of all of Scotland and its people, you will consent to marry me and be my queen! And in return, I'll show mercy for your people for this act of treason!"

All Katherine could do was stare at the man below her, astonished by his arrogance. The Lady Finella had not been exaggerating when she had warned them about him.

"My cousin is the rightful King! You are nothing but an impostor!" she shouted angrily, only to add something else, while smiling slyly. "And besides…I am already wedded!"

Though he was too far for her to see, Constantine's eyes were bulging with shock and rage.

"WHAT? With _**WHOM**_?" he demanded, but the Princess gave him no answer.

"How can this be?" he hissed at the soldier beside him. "I was told Princess Katherine had no husband!"

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," the guard on his left pleaded. "But as you can see, this castle and its people are rather isolated here. For all we know, this marriage that she speaks of might have only occurred within the last moon. There was no way we could have foreseen this."

Constantine cursed lowly, and then added loudly. "Have your husband brought before me then! I wish to speak with the lord of this castle!"

"Goliath does not speak with cowards and filthy murderers!" Katherine shouted back at him. "He will not see you, save when your head is mounted on an iron spike!"

Constantine glared at her, enraged at her rebellious tongue.

"Very well then!" he yelled, his voice rising with freshly added spark. "We will see how well you will be able to defy me…when my army has ransacked your castle, and dealt with every treacherous soul within it!"

With these words, he turned around and returned to his waiting army.

"Call for the rest of my forces at once!" he shouted at the nearest soldier. "Load the catapults, and prepare the battering ram! We will raze this castle and its inhabitants to the ground!"

"And risk your precious Princess getting killed in the process?" a voice calmly asked him from his right. "I thought she was worth more to you alive?"

Angrily, he turned to his right to see the Mage standing there, which was strange since Constantine thought that he had remained behind in the encampment. But then again, with a wizard, who knew if what anyone saw was the truth?

"So what do _you_ suggest?" he snapped, trying to mask the surprise in his voice with his anger.

"I foresaw this possible turn of events, and have planned something to counter it with, _Your Majesty_," Valmont explained. "But you must first stop your siege."

"And let these traitors get away with their defiance?" Constantine said furiously. "Never!"

Valmont worked hard to keep a sigh from escaping his lips. As a Jackass, this man would probably become more intelligent than he was right now.

"You will have the castle _and_ the Princess before daybreak tomorrow," he promised the young fool. "Then you can kill everyone in the castle, including her husband. But for now, you must call your army back and wait at the edge of the forest."

"Oh, and I suppose she will simply come to us then," Constantine said sarcastically, forgetting his cautiousness for a moment.

"Yes," the Mage replied with a dark smile. "She will."

Constantine looked oddly at him for a moment. He thought of asking the sorcerer what he meant by that, but knew better than to ask him anything. Instead he turned around, walking to the front of the castle once again.

This went against his very nature, but if the Mage had a plan then he knew better than to go against him.

"As a sign of my great mercy, I shall give you time to reconsider your decision!" he yelled to Katherine above. "You have until dawn tomorrow to comply with my commands. If you don't, then know that you have sealed the fates of yourself…and _everyone _with you!"

With these words, he turned around and left.

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**Later That Evening;**

**Castle Wyvern:**

"And they just left?" Goliath asked again, as they all stood together at the battlements. Katherine, the Magus and the Captain had been waiting beside him and Othello the moment they awoke. They had then quickly informed him of the day's events concerning Constantine.

"Yes," Katherine replied. "This doesn't make any sense."

What she said was true, as from what they knew of Constantine from the Lady Finella, it seemed very unlike him to offer time to anyone, let alone those he was at war with. If anything, the only reason why he would allow his enemies time would be for them to contemplate their fate before an execution or something. So why would he give them until sunrise to change their decision?

The Princess looked around to the Captain of the Guard, the Magus and Goliath's Second, who stood there beside him.

"Maybe his Mage needs the time to prepare his foul magic," the white-haired human guessed.

"Or they want to plunder the near farms and villages first?" the Captain added, casting a look out on the plains and the forest behind. "There is little we can do now, though."

"_We_ can," Goliath replied, looking to his Second. "Gather the clan. We will set up spies to monitor their movements. If they are out to plunder, then we shall prevent it and protect the people."

The white-haired Gargoyle nodded and jumped onto the battlement, gliding away to gather the warriors needed.

"Magus, please search for spells and any way to counter the magic of the Mage," Goliath ordered the human. "We must be prepared for anything."

The Magus nodded, giving him and then the Princess a last look before leaving for his private chambers.

"Captain, we need to discuss a plan for when the siege commences," Goliath told the older human. "And if they attack tomorrow, then we must set up a good defence."

The Captain nodded, remembering very well how their day's defence had failed miserably against the Vikings. They had merely delayed them until the sun had gone down, when they knew the Gargoyles would be able to fight and defeat them.

"I'll go to the rookery now," the Princess stated in a moment of silence, feeling she had learned all she needed to know. "Inform me if you learn of anything new."

"I will," Goliath told his wife, watching her leave.

"It seems you are finally making some progress," the Captain noticed, somewhat happy despite the earnest situation.

Goliath just nodded, though with the hint of a smile on his usually stoic face. But that smile quickly faded, as he quickly began discussing battle tactics with his human ally.

It would not be long now before the kingdom of Wyvern fought its greatest battle.

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**Constantine's Encampment; **

**Same Time:**

"I trust you now have a good reason as to why I had to let Princess Katherine and her infested rumble of a castle go?" Constantine said, half-glaring at the Mage who was standing at a boiling cauldron. "Not to mention why I have had to wait all day for your so-called plan to take effect?"

After they had left Wyvern, Constantine and his men had all returned to their encampment along with Brother Valmont who had immediately returned to his own tent once they had arrived. He had spent the rest of the day and the first part of the evening there together with Gillecomgain, not seeing anyone, not even Constantine.

Needless to say, Constantine had been as mad as hell about that. Even more so when he questioned him about it, but the Mage refused to give him a straight answer, saying only that all would be revealed at sundown.

Constantine made a mental note to question Gillecomgain about the sorcerer's activities at the first given opportunity.

Sundown came and went, and still he had not received a satisfactory answer of why he had had to leave Wyvern and spare them for the day, but as God was his witness he swore he would find out _now_.

"Wizard!" he demanded, charging into his tent. "What the devil are you doing in here?"

"You will soon see," the sorcerer replied, not even bothering to look up at him, as he sprinkled some kind of powder into the boiling cauldron sitting in the centre of his tent. He then looked to Gillecomgain. "The blood!"

Gillecomgain reached over the table, withdrawing from it the small bottle that Constantine recalled seeing the sorcerer with the day when he had cursed the fool Maol Chalvim. He also remembered what he had filled bottle with that day.

"Is that…Maol Chalvim's _blood_?" he asked.

The sorcerer nodded. "I always anticipated that the Princess would not be so cooperative as to surrender her castle and go willingly with you. So…I took measures to ensure her defeat would be done swiftly and easily."

"And how do you plan on achieving that? And why have I been waiting all day, when it was you who warned me about those Gargoyle things in the first place?"

Valmont just smirked. "Watch and learn," he replied, as he took the bottle from the boy and uncorked it.

Suddenly he began to give a slow hum, in an eerie but rhythmical tune, while holding the bottle up in the air.

"Sanguis sanguinis, viscus visceris..." he recited. "Trans et ventos et mara et terras, dua vases misceant!" (Blood of the blood, flesh of the flesh…across the winds, sea and land, let the two vessels unite!)

With the final word spoken, he poured the blood of the former Scottish Prince into the cauldron.

0000000000

**Castle Wyvern:**

Princess Katherine made her way down the castle steps from the battlements, to the Rookery. She was quite surprised that she was finding herself actually looking forward to going there now, when there had been a time not too long ago when she had both dreaded and loathed the mere thought of setting foot there.

She still found being around so many Gargoyles, even Hatchlings, a little disconcerting, but…she had to admit that once you managed to look past the large horns, oddly coloured skin, tiny fangs, claws and massive ears…that little baby Gargoyle with the crop of blonde hair was really quite _cute_.

She didn't know why, as she knew that except for Goliath, Gargoyles had no names, but for some reason she thought the name 'Gabriel' suited the newly hatched Gargoyle very well. Its fair hair, wide innocent eyes and feral attitude when they were trying to change his changing rag, made her think of the Archangel.

She knew it wasn't Gargoyle tradition to take names, let alone name their young, but maybe they could make an exception just this once. After all, the Archangels were the guardians of Heaven were they not, like the Gargoyles were the guardians of this castle. It seemed an ideal name for the young one.

She would have to remember to talk it over with Goliath later, she thought, as she walked down the stone-steps to the courtyard. She had just reached the foot of the stairs when…

"Uhhh!" she gasped, as she felt what felt like her mind splitting in two. It was as though something had grabbed hold of both her body and mind, pulling her against her will.

It was similar to some kind of primal instinct that had awakened within her, like the birds that flew south during winter, obeying the call of nature. And now, like those birds, Katherine too was obeying something, but it was not Mother Nature she was listening to.

She felt light-headed, as her mind refused to focus, but her feet were all too ready and willing to take over for her. It was as if they had gained minds of their own, like she was sleepwalking, as they walked forward toward their intended destination…and Katherine made no objection.

From across the courtyard, one of the milkmaids bowed before the Princess, as she walked toward her.

"Good evening, Your Highness," she said, as she greeted Wyvern's royalty…but Katherine made no reply.

She just walked right past the young servant, as though she had not even seen her, her eyes half-closed as if in a daze.

As for the milkmaid, she had been raised never to question the Royals or Nobles, and just assumed the Princess to be tired or uninterested in her, so she kept her head low while she passed.

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**Constantine's Encampment:**

"It has begun," Brother Valmont announced. "She will be arriving soon."

"What are you muttering about?" Constantine frowned. "_Who_ is coming?"

"Your future queen," he simply replied.

Constantine cocked an eyebrow at the Mage's words. "And just why do you assume that?" he asked, almost amused. "Do you think that she is just going to walk right out of her castle and into my arms?"

"Maybe not your arms," the other man replied. "But as for coming here… Most definitely."

Constantine looked at him as if he'd gone mad. "Are you insane?" he said, wondering if all the travelling had finally taken its toll on this man's bald head. "What in all the world and beyond would be strong enough to convince her to leave her safe haven and come to her sworn enemy?"

"A sorcerer's will," Valmont simply replied, never losing his smile.

Constantine frowned again, but seemed to look interested. "Explain," he said.

"The spell I just cast," the wizard explained, "is an ancient spell that I learnt years ago. It is a fairly simple and easily conjured enchantment, but in this case it is most effective for our needs."

"What do you mean?"

The wizard nodded at the now empty bottle in his hand. "This vial, as you saw, once contained the blood of Scotland's former Prince, Maol Chalvim, cousin to Katherine of Wyvern. As the old saying goes…blood is thicker than water," he said, not losing his smile. "The spell I cast has fused Maol Chalvim's blood with magic; turning it into a sort of…what you might call _a homing call_. Anyone close by who is of the Prince's family, who share the same blood as he, will be instantly drawn to it."

Constantine's face lit up with realisation. "So the Princess Katherine will…"

"The spell will enchant her mind," he confirmed. "She will be compelled to seek out the elixir in this cauldron, now bubbling with her cousin's blood, wherever it may be, no matter what the cost."

Constantine laughed. "And she will do it willingly?"

"She will have no knowledge of what she is doing," he explained. "Only when I have removed the spell will she be in her correct state of mind once again."

Just then, Constantine frowned. "Why did you not use this spell to bring the false Prince Kenneth to me then, if this is all it would take?"

Valmont shook his head and explained. "For one thing, I only had enough of Maol Chalvim's blood to do this spell once and once alone. Secondly, this type of spell is only strong enough to work if the person you seek to summon is nearby, as the Princess Katherine is. And as you no doubt recall, _My King_, we had no way of knowing where Kenneth was hiding, so there was no need for us to waste precious magic."

Constantine gave him a thin glare, but said nothing further of the spell. "Well then, if you will excuse me," he replied. "I had better go make preparations for the arrival of my future queen."

With that, he turned and left the Mage's tent, not noticing the sorcerer roll his eyes and give the king a dark look.

The second he was out of the tent, he summoned some of his guards.

"Fetch some horses," he ordered. "We will be going back into the forest to watch over the castle. If what the Mage say is true, _and it had better be for his sake_, the Princess Katherine will be coming out tonight to meet her true husband at long last!"

0000000000

**Castle Wyvern:**

Katherine walked toward the Great Hall. She didn't know what, but something was calling her, and no matter what, she knew she had to follow it to its point of origin.

She passed by a few guards and some servants, but there weren't many, as most were preparing for the coming battle. They passed by her, giving her a short bow of respect, but she did not even heed them, and they were obviously too busy with battle preparations to notice the dazed look upon her face.

She didn't know where she was going, or what she was trying to find, but she knew it was beyond the castle walls, thus she had to get out there.

Fortunately (or UN-fortunately, depending on how you viewed it), even though her mind was clouded, her memory was not. She remembered that her father had once told her of a secret passage, which he had built years ago. Her father had built the castle with a few escape routes, should it ever be besieged with no hope of them defeating their enemies. One of them was a false-wall in the Great Hall that opened to a tunnel, leading just beyond the outer wall of the castle.

She walked into the Hall and up to the throne, and moved the stone above it, activating the mechanism that secured the secret passageway. A few moments later, the wall at the back of the room slowly slid open, and Katherine walked through.

**To Be Continued… **


	8. Chapter 8

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles and Gargoyles comics are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
>No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.<br>All original characters are the property of Storyseeker and Hardwing.**_

_**Here it is, the newly revamped saga! With fresh new/extended and altered scenes! **_

_**Once again, this story was co-written with the great author Hardwing! Many thanks!**_

_**This fic saga is set in an alternate universe, in Wyvern's past, with characters from the Gargoyles comics, the Dark Ages Saga in TGS and some of Hardwing's own characters. It starts off right after the events shown in the show's episode 'Long Way To Morning' in 984 A.D. where the events in that chapter lead to a different conclusion for the clan. It is also set in the same timeline as the show in that era, with two small differences… and that's Goliath didn't get his name until 984 A.D. and the eggs hatched soon in 995 A.D.**_

_**Oh, and in case some people get offended at some of the sexist remarks in this saga… Please remember that it is set in the medieval ages (things were different back then). **_

_**Many thanks to Kimberly Towle for her suggestions, and to the author Aesop for all his proofreading!**_

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**Castle Wyvern:**

On the east side of the castle, the Magus was on his way to the battle-room to find Goliath and report his findings from the Grimorum.

He had gone through the magic book, page by page, locating every protection rune and spell he could find that would help defend Wyvern against the dark magic of Constantine's sorcerer. So far, he had found a massive assortment of such charms that would help them, and was on his way now to show them to the Gargoyle prince and Katherine.

He still found it a little difficult, after spending so many years treating Goliath as his enemy, to treat him now as his monarch, but that was nothing compared to actually treating him as an equal, or even stranger…as a friend.

Still, he knew that when it came to battle-tactics and protecting their home, there was none finer that the giant mountain of lavender muscle. He had proven, time and time again, that in his own special way he did care for the Princess and did not want to see her come to harm.

The Magus just hoped he would find Katherine in there with him, as that would make it easier for him.

He soon reached the battle-room, and sure enough found Goliath inside with the Captain and his Clan-Second…but no Katherine.

Resisting a sigh of disappointment, he walked in with a bundle of pages that he had copied from the Grimorum under his arm, each bearing one of the spells he thought would best suit their needs. Among them was a very special spell that he knew would prove to be very useful.

"My Lord," he said, this time without clenching his teeth, as he usually did when addressing the Gargoyle leader as such.

Goliath looked up at the robed sorcerer from the map that was laid out on the table in front of him, showing the area surrounding the castle, the forest and beyond.

"You were successful in finding some spells to aid us?" he asked.

The Magus nodded. "The Grimorum has more than enough suitable resources for our needs," he told him. "I have already found several protection spells that should keep all of Wyvern safe from any of this Mage's powers."

Goliath nodded. "How soon can you begin implementing them?"

He frowned. "That is the problem, I'm afraid. The spells I speak of are no easy task to perform. I will need at least a full day to complete even just one of the incantations."

Goliath growled in frustration. "Can you not speed up the process?"

He hissed. "If I could, I would do so!"

"Easy, lad," the Captain hushed him. "He was only asking."

"My apologies, My Prince," he replied. "I am just…tired." 'More so than you can imagine,' he added to himself. "One of the first things you learn as a sorcerer is never to rush things," he explained. "It would be useless, or even _dangerous,_ to rush any of these spells. But I can at least provide some protection for our people by putting up some mental barriers around their minds. This will shield them from the Mage's powers, should he attempt anything."

Goliath sighed. "Fine. Anything you can do will be most appreciated, Magus."

The former student of the Archmage nodded.

At that moment the door opened, and in came one of the Gargoyle females whom he recognised as the Clan-Second's mate. She was the deep orange-coloured Gargess with the unusually split wings, and fair hair.

"My Love," Othello said, as he headed toward her, embracing her in his arms and wings. "How fair the hatchlings?"

Desdemona shrugged. "As well as all newly hatched ones can be… Completely oblivious to everything that's going on around them," she said, smiling. "It makes me envious of them sometimes. What I wouldn't do to make myself forget what's going on outside these walls of ours."

"Wouldn't we all," the Captain agreed, giving a small humourless smile.

Goliath shook his head. "Speaking of the hatchlings, how also fairs my _delicate_ wife?"

Desdemona looked at him curiously. "Last I saw of her she was fine. But that was last night."

He raised his eyeridges in alarm. "What do you mean? Wasn't she in the rookery with you and the others?"

0000000000

**Forests Outside Wyvern:**

Constantine and ten of his soldiers stood watch near the edge of the forest, where Castle Wyvern stood. He was taking no chances, so he had brought ten of his fiercest warriors, which included Mail Brigti, to apprehend Katherine when she eventually turned up.

"How long would you have us wait here, Your Majesty?" Mail Brigti asked.

He did not even spare him a glance. "As long as it takes," he simply replied. "The Mage guaranteed that the Princess would show up here tonight, and I fully intend to be here when she does."

Little did he know how right he was. At that exact moment, not far from where he and his soldiers were waiting, Katherine was at the castle, opening the secret passageway on the outer castle-wall, which led outside Wyvern.

She had never been down the tunnel before, but Katherine had known where it was, as her father had shown it to her years ago when she was a child. No one else had used it either, apparently, considering all the dust and cobwebs she had passed through on her way.

Once she was through, there was no turning back. Both of the passage-doors, the one on the outer wall, and the one within the Great Hall, had been built specifically so that they could only be opened from the inside, so that none of their enemies could get in.

Alas, the spell of Brother Valmont still held her fast.

With her head still clouded, and no free will of her own, she stepped through the outer door and closed it behind her. Whether she did this purely by instinct, as she was told to do so from early childhood, or because deep down she wanted to ensure her people's safety by preventing any of Constantine's army gaining entry into Wyvern, was unclear.

Without considering any of this, she continued walking, heading deep into the forest.

0000000000

Back in the castle, when it became clear to everyone that Katherine had never shown up in the Rookery, as she had intended, a frantic search had begun all over the stone fortress.

"Search everywhere!" Goliath ordered. "Leave no door unopened, no inch of this entire castle unexplored! Let no one rest until she is found!"

"Yes, Sire," one of the guards replied, saluting him before rushing off to begin his search for the Princess.

As he left, Othello entered the Great Hall where they were gathered, but the look on his face as good as told everyone that he had nothing to report.

"No luck?" Goliath asked, though he already knew what the answer would be.

Othello shook his head, confirming his brother's assumption. "Neither those of the clan nor any of the humans have seen her in the past half hour or so."

Goliath growled in frustration. Where could she have gone?

At first, he thought maybe this was all just some terrible joke of hers, to make him worry. But he soon dismissed that notion. Even when Katherine had been her usual frigid self with him, she would never have been so stupid as to make a jest at such a dire time as this, with Constantine right at their doorstep.

But with that being the case, then where in the name of the Dragon was she?

A few moments later, the Captain hurried in.

"Captain?" he asked hopefully, but the shake of his friend's head soon shattered that.

"The men and your clan are scouring the castle even as we speak," he assured him. "They'll find her soon enough."

Goliath gave a short smile, but it was forced. If the Princess could be found then she would have been so already. The one thing that was still confounded him was what could have happened to her?

The only logical explanation was that Constantine must have somehow gotten to her, but how could that be? He was still beyond the walls of Wyvern, and there was no way in for him, so how?

The next thought worried him, but it seemed like the only possible explanation…_a spy_. A spy of Constantine's right within their own walls must have helped the blackguard by kidnapping Katherine and bringing her to him.

But even if that were correct, there was still the question of how he could have been able to get her out. All the entrances and exits of Wyvern were still sealed, with no way in or out for anyone, and they were all watched over night and day.

"Goliath!" the voice of the Magus suddenly cried out.

The large warrior turned to see the white-headed sorcerer hurrying toward them from one of the side-doors at the back of the Hall. His face seemed flushed, as though he had just run all the way to them from the other side of the country.

"I believe I know a way to find Katherine," he exclaimed. He was obviously exceedingly worried by the Princess's fate, as he had seemingly forgotten to address both she and Goliath by their royal titles, but no one saw fit to remind him at that particular moment.

"How?" Goliath demanded.

"The Grimorum!" he explained. "I remembered a spell within its pages that can help find someone who is lost. I have it here with me now." He showed them both the torn page from the ancient book.

Goliath realised that the young wizard must really be worried, as it was a known fact that he treasured the Grimorum above all else, save Katherine. Yet he had brought them the spell by tearing out the very page it was on instead of merely copying it like he always did.

The Castle-Regent, however, had no time to reflect on this, and ordered the Magus to proceed with his plan. "Do whatever you must!"

The Magus did as ordered, and read from the page. "Aradia, dea de perditissimus, do meus vester conspectus. Probo meus conperio ea perditissimus ut we! Aradia, Goddess of the Lost, give me your sight. Let me find she lost to us!"

The spell was cast, and the Magus felt his soul soar, as his eyes saw beyond the castle's four walls.

0000000000

**Forests Outside Wyvern:**

"Ah," Constantine smirked, as the branches of the trees pulled away, revealing Wyvern's Princess, as she stepped through them. "My future queen doth approach."

Katherine made no comment, as she continued walking forward, her face a total blank.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was still under the sorcerer's spell, and no doubt would remain so until she reached that dumb cauldron of his, so Constantine trotted his horse towards her.

"Come, My Queen," he said, smiling smugly, as he held out his hand to her. "Your destiny awaits you. I will carry you for the rest of your journey."

She did not look up or even blink her hazy eyes. She just stood where she was for a few moments before she slowly lifted her hand up to his.

_"Aradia, Goddess of the Lost, give me your sight. Let me find she lost to us!"_

The words were spoken beyond even a Gargoyle's range of hearing, yet Katherine heard the words as clearly as though someone had spoken them right into her ear.

At first, all she did was frown in confusion when she heard the words, but then… It was like someone had stabbed her with a pin on her arm, and her spirit once again came alive and awake.

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**Constantine's Encampment: **

Valmont stood by the boiling cauldron, as he waited to hear news from his would-be King about his blushing bride's arrival. Gillecomgain stood cautiously on the other side, awaiting further orders from his temporary master.

The cauldron suddenly spluttered, as the elixir within it churned and spat.

"What in the name of Hades?" the former Monk said, startled.

No sooner had he said this, the cauldron shuddered one last time, and spat out the whole of its brew upon the Mage, practically drowning him in the filthy red mixture.

He shielded his face from the boiling liquid, crying out as it scalded his skin, and screamed when he saw the ugly goop had ruined his robe.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" he demanded, glaring daggers at his temporary assistant.

Gillecomgain could only stand where he was, staring in amazement and fear at the now red-drenched wizard.

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**Within The Forest: **

"Huh…wha…?" Katherine muttered, as she blinked her eyes in confusion. "Where…where am I?"

She looked around briefly, and did a double take when she realised where she was, and more shockingly…_whom_ she was with.

"Constantine!" she cried out in alarm.

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**Castle Wyvern: **

The Magus shuddered, as he felt the magic of the ancients course through him.

Using the power of the Goddess of the Lost, he searched through infinity for his lost Princess…and soon enough, he found her.

"Urgh!" he cried out, losing his balance as he stepped back.

Goliath was quick on his feet, as he reached for the Princess's former advisor, steadying him. "What is it?" he asked.

"The Princess," the Magus breathed out, seemingly exhausted. The spell had obviously taken a lot out of him. "She…she was under a spell!"

"What, you mean yours?" the Captain said in confusion.

"No!" he said, as he sat down on one of the Hall-chairs, rubbing his forehead. "It can only be that sorcerer with Constantine. I felt the presence of another form of magic upon the Princess's mind when I located her…"

"You know where she is?" Goliath said urgently. "Where?"

"Outside," he replied, "right within the forest…with Constantine!"

Goliath snarled, his eyes flaring bright silver, as he spun around. "Brother, you're with me!" he ordered his Second. "I think it's high time we met this supposed new King of Scotland for ourselves! Captain, you remain here and watch over the castle!"

And with that, he raced out of the Hall on all fours, with Othello running close behind him.

The Captain stayed behind with the Magus, checking to see is he was all right.

"Looks like that spell took a lot out of you," he commented.

"Not the spell," the Magus told him. "At least, not completely… The spell I used allowed me to spiritually search for and locate Princess Katherine. When I found her, my spell and the spell that the Mage must have used on her…_clashed_."

"Clashed?"

He nodded. "The spell I used was from the Grimorum, which originated from Ancient Rome. Whatever spell this Mage used, it obviously must have come from a different source. And as any half-knowledgeable sorcerer's apprentice knows, it's highly unwise to mix magics…dangerous even."

He suddenly looked alarmed. "Katherine," he said. "I've got to go! Goliath will need my help in…"

"Goliath and his clan can handle anything," the Captain assured him. "Constantine will be no threat to them, even with his men. And as for the Mage, assuming he is even there with the arrogant fool, never forget that Goliath has fought sorcerers before, and will do so again if he has to."

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**Forests Outside Wyvern:**

Constantine swore below his breath, guessing that whatever magic the Mage had used on Katherine had obviously worn off.

'So much for a sorcerer's will,' he mentally sneered.

"How did I come to be here?" she demanded. The last thing she remembered was heading toward the Rookery.

"Seems as though we're going to have to do this the hard way," Constantine said to her, still with a dark smile upon his face. "Which I'm happy to say is just the way I like it!"

He reached out with his hand again, grabbing her arm.

Katherine squealed in fright, attempting to break free of his grasp, but only succeeded in providing a source of amusement for his men, as they laughed at her futile struggle.

After months of endless humiliation from being married to Goliath, her pride and dignity were now stretched to exhaustion, and seeing the man who had murdered her uncle, and his own men now laughing at her…that seemed to be the final straw for her, as she glared murderously at them.

She decided right there and then that, no matter what, she was _not_ going to go down lightly. One thing she had learned from growing up in a castle full of Gargoyles, and from being married to one…was how to be strong, and never give up.

"Let…go…of...ME!" she screamed, as she pulled her arm back with all the strength she could muster; her hatred and anger for the murderer fuelling her desire.

Constantine was more than surprised at this defiance, as well as her strength. She managed to break away from him. So surprised he was that he momentarily lost his balance on his horse, causing him to fall over.

"Whoaaa!" he yelled, as he fell off his horse, straight into the mud.

Katherine stood over him defiantly. "And that's where you belong, _pig_!" she shouted, pointing at the mud he was in, before racing off into the woods.

"Don't just stand there, you fools!" he bellowed, his rage all-consuming, as he commanded his men. "_After her_!"

His soldiers did as they were ordered, galloping their stallions after the fleeing Princess.

Katherine panted, as she ran through the thick forest. The trees' sharp branches ripped off parts of her dress and scratched her exposed skin, making her hiss through her teeth in pain.

Still she pressed on, as the sounds of horses' thundering hooves and blades striking the forest growth continued to echo behind her, followed by the sound of voices in the distance…

"_Find her!"_

"_She can't be too far."_

"_Search that way!" _

"_Do not leave one inch of this forest unturned until you have found her! I want that wench back in my possession before the next minute passes!" _

She gasped for breath, as she struggled to press on, running until she thought her feet would fall off. She was fortunate that the thick growth of this forest had slowed her oppressor's hunt long enough, giving her an able start to run from them.

Eventually, she found her way to a small waterfall, pausing only briefly for a quick breath, but alas, she had no time. She soon heard the soldiers drawing closer.

She rushed behind a huge tree, holding her hands to her mouth to stifle the sound of her own breathing.

'Dear God in Heaven,' she prayed. 'Help me.'

Katherine stood as still as she could, her hands trembling as they covered her mouth to stifle her whimpering sounds.

She thought of the baby Gargoyle in the Rookery that she had helped bring into the world. Would he remember her, she thought. Did Gargoyles have that long a memory?

The voices grew louder, as they got closer.

She knew Constantine would no doubt take her back alive, as she could guess why. He needed her to wed, and bear an heir with, because she was of royal blood, thereby ensuring his claim to the throne. But as much as she wanted to beg for her own life, she knew she would not…_could_ not. Not when there were so many other lives at stake.

And she would rather be dead than be married to _him_!

She had to stifle herself again, though this time it was to suppress laughter; for she had just realised something that she had once thought impossible. Months ago, at her wedding, she had thought that nothing could be more horrendous than being married to Goliath, a Gargoyle.

She had just been proven wrong.

Tears came to her eyes, wishing she could have had more time in this world to do all the good that her father had wanted her to do.

She realised then that with her gone, Goliath would be sole ruler of Wyvern. And if her cousin was truly gone, then he might very well have a legitimate claim on not only the throne of Wyvern, but also the throne of Scotland itself.

She stifled another burst of laughter at that. 'If the Church wasn't outraged before,' she thought. 'Then they certainly will be now.'

'Father, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't uphold your beliefs and honour your wishes, as you wanted. I now know why you did what you did. I'm only sorry I didn't learn your lessons sooner..."

"Found her!" a voice cried out.

The shout at first gave Katherine the urge to start running again, until she realised that she _knew_ this voice, and it wasn't that of Constantine or one of his men. Looking up, she discovered the large Gargoyle that was Goliath's Second, looking down on her, having landed in one of the massive trees.

Before she found enough breath to say anything, Goliath landed in front of her, staring at her with what she recognised as a worried gaze.

"Are you all right?" the large Gargoyle asked his wife.

"I am," she replied, feeling a weight falling from her heart. "Goliath, you don't know how glad I am to..."

"_GOLIATH_?" a voice suddenly yelled from behind the Gargoyle's back. Turning around, the Human and the Gargoyle discovered Constantine arriving on his horse.

The self-made King stared at the unusual couple with widened eyes that possessed a look that was a cross between shock, amazement and horror.

"You are married to…to…_**this**_?" he stuttered.

Staring at Constantine, the murderer of her uncle and maybe even her cousin, Katherine found this answer easy.

"Yes!" she spat at him. "And I would rather be married to him and a thousand other Gargoyles than to _you_!"

Goliath cocked his eyeridge at her, not knowing whether to feel praised or insulted.

Enraged, Constantine drew his sword. "Then you shall have them all…_in Hell_!" he declared, looking to his men accompanying him. "No woman who willingly gives herself to a demon is of any use to me! Kill them both!"

But just as he shouted this order, Goliath shouted one of his own.

With a short growl, the tops of the trees began to rustle, giving Constantine's men just enough time to look up and discover several pairs of lights, red and white, shining down on them. Something then swooped down from the trees, throwing the soldiers roughly onto the ground from the backs of their horses.

With Constantine still staring unbelieving at how his soldiers were pushed from their steeds so suddenly, Goliath used the opportunity and roared at the horse that he was sitting on, making it rear and dump its rider in fright.

With a large thump, Constantine landed hard on the earth below him, making him curse out loud. As he held his aching back, which was not feeling much better than the rest of his body, he rose with his sword in his free hand to fend off Goliath, though the Gargoyle warrior made no move to attack.

"This isn't over, beast!" he shouted at him, slowly moving backwards as he did so, hearing his men fighting beside him, and judging by what he heard they were doing so rather unsuccessfully.

Cursing below his breath, he ordered "Retreat!" knowing better than to continue fighting when the odds were not in their favour. Especially, when the battle could be easily won in a few hours, _at sunrise_.

The few of his men, still able to move, followed his order, retreating deeper into the forest while the Gargoyles gathered by their leader and his wife.

"Shall we finish them off?" the Second asked his leader.

"No. Too late, and we don't know if they have reinforcements." Goliath replied, looking at the forest. "Let's go home."

Turning to Katherine, he found her looking at him in a strange way.

"Are you all right?" he asked again, worried that she might be suffering from an after-effect of the magic used on her.

"Yes, but..." she bit her lip. "But why did you risk your life for me…after all I did to you and your clan?"

He looked for a moment at her in surprise, and, as she noticed, some of the clan shared the same look as well.

The clan leader frowned, wondering what to say. He could explain that it was in a Gargoyle's nature to protect, but time was not on their side, and he had already tried explaining it to her countless times before.

Finally, he just shrugged. "What kind of husband would I be if I didn't protect my own wife?" he said simply, offering her a clawed hand.

After a moment of looking at him in surprise, her face turned a soft smile, and she took his claw, on which he quickly but gently placed her on his back before climbing up the next tree.

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**Constantine's Camp: **

Constantine strode through his campsite, angrily pushing aside a few of his soldiers, as he made his way up to the Mage's tent.

"MAGE!" he yelled furiously, his rage making him forget to take care when addressing the mystic, as he stormed through the opening in the tent. Gillecomgain was there, of course, and wisely knelt in respect before him, but he paid him no heed. He continued yelling at the former Monk. "Where did you learn magic, at a…" He paused.

Staring into the tent, he found the sorcerer in question, his once green robe soaked in a dark red liquid.

Brother Valmont glared at him. "What is it?" he hissed, his face showing that whatever it was, he was definitely not in the mood to discuss anything with the king.

But the former Ward of King Kenneth was too enraged at that moment to take a hint, and immediately started,

"You told me Katherine would come to me willingly!" he said accusingly. "You never said that once she got to me, the spell would break and she would regain her free will?"

"She wasn't supposed to! Someone…_interfered_!"

"What do you mean?"

"The spell was working just fine," the soaked Mage explained. "But then I encountered some interference from another magical source. I can only assume that it must have been the young Magus they have up at the castle. He must have used the Grimorum to counter my spell of control." He spluttered a little, as he wiped more of the red goop off of himself.

"What happened here?" Constantine asked, interested.

Valmont just muttered something angrily under his breath. "When the spell was countered, it caused the potion to spontaneously combust. I was fortunate that it didn't burn my skin off." He suddenly remembered. "But what of the Princess? Tell me, did you lay claim to her?"

Constantine glared furiously at him. "Would I be in such a _good_ mood if I had?"

The sorcerer just looked angry, too. "What happened?"

"The Princess regained her free will just as she approached me," he seethed. "We chased her for a while, and were about to capture her when…some of those God forsaken winged demons came down on us! Her _husband_ amongst them!"

Valmont blinked at his last statement. "You mean her husband was flying _with_ the Gargoyles?" he asked.

"No, my would-be counsel!" Constantine rebuked him. "Her husband was _one_ of the Gargoyles! It turns out the miserable wench is married to a demon!"

Valmont and Gillecomgain both gasped.

"This was…unforeseen," Valmont could only remark.

"You have that right, sorcerer!" he declared. "But at least it has solved one problem for now."

"What is that?"

"Well," his so-called Lord scoffed. "I couldn't possibly marry someone, Princess or nay, who has been tainted by a Gargoyle of all things. If word got out that I was wed to a woman such as that, no loyal Scotsman in their right mind would follow me willingly. No! My only course of action now is to secure my right to the throne by wiping out all of Kenneth's bloodline completely…starting with Katherine!"

The Mage looked at him for a moment, but finally just sighed and nodded. "As you command…My Liege."

Constantine smirked and left, shouting out to Gillecomgain to go and tell his soldiers to prepare for the final assault. The boy quickly did as he was told, eager to leave the sorcerer's tent.

Brother Valmont stared at the exit of the tent and pondered. Allowing that fool to attack the castle meant risking damage to the sacred book. It might even be destroyed. Yet there was no other way. Not with this surprising revelation… A Gargoyle married to a human? How absurd!

It also meant Constantine had no hope of achieving unification between his bloodline and that of the clan of The Three Brothers. Once word got out that a person of the royal lineage had married a Gargoyle, there would be a scandal, perhaps even a riot.

Although this revelation would no doubt be most beneficial to Constantine, it was of little help to him. Once people learned of this bizarre marriage, the former royal family would lose any respect their people would have once had for them. They might actually start cheering for Constantine as king.

This meant, however, that Valmont had no leverage on him. His only hope now was to limit the damage. He would join the battle, and when the time was right he would go and search for the Grimorum in the chaos.

Yes! The spell of Illusion would be handy, and this time tomorrow he would have the Grimorum in his hands where it belonged.

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**Castle Wyvern: **

The Magus paced the stone-floor of the battlements in anxiety, waiting for news of his beloved Princess, the Captain of the Guard watching him. Beyond them, there were several soldiers and Gargoyles guarding the battlements. Amongst them were the young Trio. Guard-duty had been added to their long list of extra chores for their punishment for scaring Katherine.

The Wild Four were also on guard duty, but they were on the other side of the castle.

"Magus, be calm," the Captain told him exasperatedly. "Never fear. Goliath has yet to ever fail us, remember that."

"I wish I shared your confidence," the white-haired sorcerer replied. "But I…"

"They're here!" the small, green Gargoyle with webwings called out excitedly, as he pointed to the sky.

Sure enough, the unmistakable silhouettes of Goliath and the other Gargoyles who had accompanied him were visible in the distance. The Magus held his hands out over the battlements, gripping them anxiously.

A few moments later, Goliath and the others touched down on the castle, and the Magus let loose a huge sigh of relief when he saw the Princess with them, holding on with her arms around Goliath's neck.

With tears of joy and relief forming in his eyes, part of him wanted to rush forward and embrace her, but he knew better. It would be unseemly and inappropriate for a lowly Magus such as himself to approach royalty in such a manner. He knew his place, however much he wanted to change it.

"HA!" the Captain laughed out loud. "I knew you'd do it, Goliath lad! Some people here had their doubts, but I told 'em you would'na let us down!"

Goliath bowed his head shortly. "Thank you, Captain," he said appreciatively. "But we have more pressing concerns for now. Magus! Are you done preparing the spell from the Grimorum?"

The young sorcerer nodded. "I am. Everything is ready. You need only say the word."

"Good," he said with some relief.

"I take it this is the same spell you talked about before?" a new voice said.

Everyone turned and saw the clan's former leader and Mentor coming up to them from the stairs. He was frowning, as he always did when _magic_ was involved in something. "Do we get to know anything about it?"

"You won't only know about it, My Mentor," Goliath said, smiling. "You and the entire clan will also get to be _part_ of it."

"_Huh?" _

**To Be Continued… **


	9. Chapter 9

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles and Gargoyles comics are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
>No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.<br>All original characters are the property of Storyseeker and Hardwing.**_

_**Here it is, the newly revamped saga! With fresh new/extended and altered scenes! **_

_**Once again, this story was co-written with the great author Hardwing! Many thanks!**_

_**This fic saga is set in an alternate universe, in Wyvern's past, with characters from the Gargoyles comics, the Dark Ages Saga in TGS and some of Hardwing's own characters. It starts off right after the events shown in the show's episode 'Long Way To Morning' in 984 A.D. where the events in that chapter lead to a different conclusion for the clan. It is also set in the same timeline as the show in that era, with two small differences… and that's Goliath didn't get his name until 984 A.D. and the eggs hatched soon in 995 A.D.**_

_**Oh, and in case some people get offended at some of the sexist remarks in this saga… Please remember that it is set in the medieval ages (things were different back then). **_

_**Many thanks to Kimberly Towle for her suggestions, and to the author Aesop for all his proofreading!**_

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**Just Before Dawn:**

"The catapults are ready, My Lord," Mail Brigti reported to his king, as he arrived upon a heavily breathing black horse.

"Just in time," Constantine replied, smiling as he looked at the sky behind the old castle in front of them, a sky just turning slightly gold, signalling the beginning of a new day…and the end of Castle Wyvern.

He looked at the castle's battlements, where the few Human defenders were seen holding their bows ready, their winged comrades' stone-forms nowhere to be seen, probably having searched for a more secure place to rest during the day.

Turning back, he looked to his gathered army, which awaited his command to attack...though maybe not eagerly.

"**My loyal men!**" he addressed them loudly, waiting until everyone was looking at him. "Today will mark a historic new era!"

With these words, he began to ride up and down in front of his soldiers.

"This battle will not only mark the end of the last bastion for the defenders of the old cruel oppressor!" he cried, once more thinking on how Kenneth had killed his father, and again neglecting to remember how his father had killed Kenneth's brother for the same reason. "But also, this will give us an opportunity to do God's work by wiping out a lair of hellish creatures that have infected this land for far too long!"

He could hear some cheers, as he turned his horse when he reached one end of his army, but the words he had just spoken were not enough. He still had more to say.

"But this is not even the brunt of the taint of this place! As I learned last night, the corruption here goes even farther than mere man and beast living side by side," he shouted, feeling hot rage filling his veins. "The one who dares to think of herself as kin to the crown, the Princess Katherine, has dared the wrath of God by marrying the leader of these demons!"

As expected, he could hear some gasps and disbelieving cries from among his army, making him smile even more.

"Do not lose heart though, my men! By day the demons sleep, having been turned to stone by the light of God, for the creatures of darkness that they are!" he concluded, drawing his sword when once again arriving at the centre. "Who will aid me, aid all humble Christian men, by never letting them wake up again, and everyone who has associated with them?"

Now _all_ his soldiers cheered fully, as the light of the rising sun turned their swords golden.

He took one last look over his army, and found Brother Valmont standing behind the crowd. As his eyes met the sorcerer's, he noticed the man nodding at him, causing him to grin.

"**ATTACK!**" he screamed his order, turning back to the castle.

Pushed by his words, the soldiers began to race forward to the castle.

Constantine was still smiling, as he watched the attack, watching how his soldiers neared the walls, preparing to give eternal rest to the hopelessly outnumbered defenders of the castle that had already seen better days. He knew that soon the battle would be won, Wyvern would be his, and Katherine would be…

"_**RRRRAAARRRRGHHHHHHHH!"**_

Suddenly, a loud roar could be heard from the distance, and the son of Culen stared unbelieving, as dozens of Gargoyles glided over the castle-walls toward his troops…_in_ _broad daylight_?

"Impossible," he stuttered in disbelief. This could not be!

But, unbelievable as it was, it was real nonetheless, as the Gargoyles dove at his surprised men, grabbing them by their shoulders and hoisting them up to the heavens, where they dropped them down by the dozens.

He turned his head to shout at the man who had told him that anything like this would be possible, but the place where the Mage had stood was now empty, nowhere to be seen.

"Traitor!" he snarled under his breath, turning back to the battlefield where his army was even now attempting to fight back against the beasts. They turned their swords to them, but alas were losing terribly, as they took heavy causalities from the combined attacks of both Human archers and winged warriors.

"Catapults!" he ordered, shouting at his men to start firing. They had all pre-prepared the catapults by loading them with boulders, all of which were ready to be released with a snap of the lever.

Unfortunately, they never got the opportunity.

Another roar, louder than the first, came from high above, and Constantine watched as yet another wave of Gargoyles came diving out of the sky, grabbing at his men with their outstretched claws, snatching them up from the ground.

The new roar had come from what looked like the leader of this second group, as he led the charge. He was a big burly Gargoyle with grey skin, two horns at the side of his head, and a breastplate over his chest.

"Hold them back!" Constantine cried out, charging his horse at them. His men did the same, as they desperately tried to do just that, but having very little success.

One man made a poor attempt at swinging his sword at the huge grey one, who retaliated by grabbing him, lifting him high above his head and tossing him straight into the oncoming crowd of his own people. His toss literally bowled the men right over, as they fell into the dirt, covering them in a thick layer of mud.

Constantine snarled and lashed out at a female with soft-red coloured skin and web-wings. She was small but quick, as she quickly evaded him, jumping from side to side.

But, apparently, this was not all that they had in mind for the tyrant king and his army, as he was soon to discover.

A loud crack of thunder seemed to echo from the castle itself, and as he spared a glance at it, he watched in terror as large balls of fire started soaring over from the castle's highest tower, striking each of the catapults and making them explode, one by one.

This was too much for the horse that he sat on, as the noise of the explosions and the roaring Gargoyles made it rear up in sheer terror, tossing its rider off, making him fall facedown in the mud for the second time.

The female gave a snort of laughter, as she watched him pick himself up, coughing and spluttering in outrage. Her laughter at him did nothing to ease his fiery temper.

Roaring, he raised his sword, charging once more at the female, swinging it to and fro. She dodged the blows again, but Constantine was no amateur with a sword, as she was soon to discover.

He lashed out the blade to her left side, and in an instant swished it back to her right, slicing a piece of her shoulder off. She howled in pain, clutching her wound, but never lost her red-eyed glare.

He then dove at her, slamming his fist into her face. The punch didn't knock her out, but did manage to knock her off her feet, as she fell over backwards, still clutching her wound.

From behind them, the large grey one noticed Constantine's attack on the small female, and with a roar of what could only be pure rage, he attempted to charge at them. Unfortunately, at that moment he was surrounded by several of the enemy's soldiers, as they ganged up on him. He glared at them, snarling, and staring in fear at Constantine and the female of his clan…his mate.

Constantine sneered, as he walked up to the downed Gargoyle, raising his sword above once more. "Greet the devil for me!" he laughed, about to deliver the killing blow. The female did not cry or say anything, as she merely stared at him, a hard look on her face. He could not help but admire her bravery.

As he did this, he heard the whooshing sound of something approaching from up above.

Looking up, he expected to see another one of those fireballs ready to roast him alive, but what he saw nearing him seemed far worse…a single large winged-form.

He recognised it at once, and re-aimed his sword away from the fallen female, to the arriving Gargoyle.

"How?" he hissed, aiming his drawn sword on the landing Goliath. "How in blazes are you all still awake?"

"The Grimorum," the warrior leader replied. "Our Magus was able to find a spell that would enable us to remain awake during the day. And last night we sent word to our sister clan, who sent reinforcements."

Constantine swore dangerously. 'Damn confounded magic!' he thought, and then added out loud...

"None of this will help you, monster! My army shall prevail, no matter what! And even if they should fail then more of my loyal forces shall come to my aid! By my own life blood, I swear I will have you and your witch-Queen's bloody heads placed on my castle's highest tower as trophies!"

"Brave words from one who attacked a weak and unarmed man from behind his back," Goliath replied, referring to King Kenneth's murder, growling at the offence against Katherine.

Constantine's nostrils flared, as he glared at the clan-leader.

"You cannot hope to win this day, Constantine," Goliath told him. "The combined warriors of my clan and the Humans of Wyvern put us on more than equal terms with you and your army. But my clan gives Wyvern the advantage. Stand down and you will be spared!"

"_Never_!"

Goliath stared at him and the look in his eyes. He had come to put an end to all this by telling Constantine to surrender, but one look alone in the eyes of this man was enough to tell him that he would never surrender willingly, and that this could end only one way.

As if he had read his thoughts, Constantine attacked. He attacked quickly for a human, and forced Goliath to take a quick step to the left.

Taking the opportunity of an open side, Goliath grabbed the Human's left leg with his tail, making him stumble onto the ground…and into the mud once again.

"This doesn't seem to be your day for garments, does it?" he taunted, as the usurper spat more dirt out, glaring at him. "Stand down, Constantine. Stand down and you will be well looked after."

If he had been born a Gargoyle, Constantine's eyes would have been flaring bright silver right then.

Screaming in rage, he leapt out of the mud, racing towards the Gargoyle leader at a speed that anyone would have thought impossible for a Human, aiming his sword straight for his heart.

0000000000

While Constantine and Goliath did battle, two figures made their way stealthily up to the castle. No one from either side of the battle noticed them.

Gillecomgain glanced around fearfully, as arrows and large fireballs soared over the heads of himself and his temporary master. Yet despite being directly in the line of fire, not a single one of the soldiers even noticed them.

"Oh, stop fidgeting, boy!" Brother Valmont snapped at him. "We're perfectly safe."

The boy couldn't help but give an astounded stare at the monk-like wizard, wondering how he could consider standing in the heart of a battlefield _safe_.

"No one can see us here," he explained. "I used an old spell, which was copied from the Grimorum itself by one of my predecessors in magic. It shields us from prying eyes, so neither the inhabitants of Wyvern nor your king's own men can see us. How else do you suppose we departed from your king's side without him noticing?"

Gillecomgain looked around nervously, but did indeed see no one eyeing them suspiciously.

"If that's the case, then should we not be helping the king with the battle?" he then asked hesitantly.

Valmont gave him a short look. "We are helping _your_ king," he told him. "Once we obtain the book, this battle will be well and truly over." That was the truth, although it was stretched by about a mile. If he had his way, the battle would be over, but no one would win except him.

"How are we even supposed to get inside the castle anyway?" the boy asked. "They're not just going to let us in through the front gate after all."

"Oh ye of little faith," he remarked, smiling as he reached out his hand and felt along the stones of the castle's outer wall. After a few moments, he found what he was looking for.

'This is going to cause me some stress,' he thought, and then added out loud. "Door of stone, rock and mortar, shudder befall me like a drop of water!"

There was a moment of silence, followed by a loud crackling sound that seemed to shudder through the wall in front of them. Gillecomgain stared in shock, as the wall shook and seemed to splinter, the stones cracking as the wall literally pulled itself towards them. Once it was finished, a small section of the wall had revealed itself to be a secret door, leading right into the castle itself.

Valmont smiled. "Come!" he ordered young Gillecomgain, heading into the stone fortress.

The boy swallowed nervously, but followed the Mage inside.

The inside was dark, with no torches or windows for light, so Valmont had to feel around with his hands to learn where he was going. He could have summoned a small burst of light from his hand to see, but that would mean wasting more of his life energy, and he couldn't afford that, not now. There was no telling what he would have to face to retrieve the Grimorum, so he needed all the energy he could muster. And he had already wasted enough by opening this passageway.

The passage could not be opened from the outside of the castle, only from the inside, as it was designed to. So he had to use his magic to force it open, which was a most strenuous waste of energy for him.

They soon reached the end of the tunnel, only to find another wall blocking the way.

Cursing lowly, he raised his hand again, repeating the same spell as before, which forced open the wall in front of him. With all the spells he had cast recently, without a conduit, he was lucky that he was bald, as any hair he would have had would be all grey by now, with all the life energy he'd spent.

"Follow me," he ordered the lad. _"And keep quiet." _

Gillecomgain silently followed him, as they emerged from the secret passageway, which surprisingly led them straight into the Great Hall of all places.

"How did you learn about this place?" he asked him, unable to contain his curiosity. "Why didn't you tell the king?"

Valmont spared him a glance. "I learned of it last night when I summoned the Princess Katherine. I managed to track her footsteps back to the castle by using a locater spell. As for why I didn't tell your king…" At that he stopped and stared hard on the young boy. "Tell me something, boy… Why are you so loyal to him anyway?"

"Because he's my king!" he replied, seemingly shocked at his words, answering as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"And that's reason enough for you to risk your life for him? You do know he's not even the legitimate heir to the throne?"

Gillecomgain paused for a moment, rubbing the sole of his shoe against the floor uncomfortably. Of course he knew Constantine was the son of a usurper. Everyone in Scotland knew that. But what could he do? He was the king now, and his father had pledged their loyalty to him.

Valmont snorted. "If I were you, boy, I'd…"

"Who goes there?" a voice suddenly yelled out.

He turned to look at the newcomer, only to get the first shock of his life that night. "You!"

The man before him had aged considerably since the last time he had seen him, but he recognised his face nonetheless. "Brother Edmund!"

The Monk stared at the intruder for a short moment before he, too, recognised him. "Brother Valmont!"

The last time Edmund had seen this man had been years ago, when he had been forced to return to England. His fellow English Monks had not been happy with him living in a castle full of Gargoyles, so they had forced him to return with them. Once he had arrived back in England, he had spent the next few months at a monastery, during which time he had met the former Monk now in front of him.

Valmont had only been a young novice at the time. Edmund had not spent a great deal of time with him, mostly seeing him in prayers or passing in the corridors. But when he first arrived, Valmont and one other novice, named Peter, had asked him numerous of questions about his time at Wyvern. Peter had asked about the Gargoyles, having never met one himself, and was immensely curious about them.

Valmont, on the other hand, had been more interested in Wyvern's then resident sorcerer, The Archmage, whom Edmund had been reluctant to talk about. And when he refused to speak of him, Valmont had bothered him no longer.

Over several weeks, some of the elder Monks had discovered bags of various herbs, earth (believed to have been taken from the graves in the churchyard) and other such items lying about the monastery. There was talk that one of their own Holy Order was practising the dark arts! The Head-Monks had been enraged, to put it lightly, but had avoided saying anything out loud, as they didn't want anyone outside the walls of their monastery to learn that one of their own was practising magic.

Then, one stormy night, he had gone to tend to the animals in the stable, and had found one of the goats slain, its belly gutted and its innards removed. When he had alerted his brothers, they had found a trail of blood that led from the stables to Peter's quarters. They had found the goat's missing entrails laid out across the floor, laid in a way that suggested some form of magic rite had taken place there.

Peter had been asleep in his bed when they had arrived there, and, after being roughly awakened, had been questioned most vigorously. He had insisted that he knew nothing about it, claiming to have merely gone to sleep, and the next thing he knew he was being roused from his sleep and accused of witchcraft.

Edmund knew the boy fairly well, and didn't believe for one minute that he was capable of the sins he was being accused of. Alas, though, with no proof he had nothing to help prove his innocence.

The monastery kept its secret well, not wanting anyone to know of the young Monk's dappling in the occult, thus disgracing the Church. So, after the poor boy was declared guilty of witchcraft, instead of being burned at the stake, he was stripped of his hood and kicked out of the Order, never to be seen again.

After several more months, Edmund had finally managed to convince the elder Monks that his cause to the Lord would be better spent at Wyvern, where he could help the people understand the Lord's word. After all, what better place was there for him to do some good than in a castle that was filled with what they perceived as unnatural creatures? Or at least that's what he told them.

In the end, they had agreed, and he had been given their leave to go, allowing him to joyfully return to Wyvern. He remembered, though, when he had left the monastery, he had seen the then young Brother Valmont's eyes watching him, and in his heart…he knew he was truly the guilty one.

His suspicions turned out to be correct, as a year later one of the Monks, whom he kept in irregular contact with, had sent him a letter, informing him that Valmont had disappeared. Apparently, they had found various potions, parchments of spells and nameless others in his room, but before they could question him about it, he had disappeared. Since then, the former Monk's whereabouts had remained a mystery…until now.

"Nay, not Brother any longer," Valmont declared. "At least, not to you!" With that, he raised his hands and recited a single word, "_Saeth_!" A second later, flames emitted from his fingers that grew and formed into a large bow, which he drew back, emitting an arrow of fire, aiming it his former brother of The Cloth.

Edmund stared at him aghast. "So it is true then!" he declared, eyeing him with disgust, disappointment and almost pity. "You forsook your holy vows to pollute your soul with the forbidden arts!"

Valmont shrugged. "I found the ways of the mystics more to my liking. So much better than sitting around and listening to some old fart preach from a book with no magic at all in it."

He glared at him. "You were given a life of spiritual enlightenment, peace and beauty! And this is your thanks to the Lord? Betraying everything that he sacrificed himself for?"

Valmont laughed. "Save your sermons for Sunday, _brother_! I have other plans for tonight!" With that, he released the fire arrow, aiming it straight at his heart.

Despite his great age, Edmund was no cripple, as he leaped to the side, the arrow striking the table behind him, setting it alight. He landed hard on the floor, the wind knocked out of him.

Valmont chuckled. "Impressive, old one," he said appraisingly. "Seems you are not yet helpless, despite your deterioration."

Edmund gave him another short glare. Despite having once been a great soldier, before giving up the battlefield to join the Church, his body had long since forgotten the muscles it had used in his previous occupation. Together with his advanced age, it was taking all of his focus and concentration to not give the devil-monk an edge on him.

He suddenly started to cough, as the smoke from the flames that Valmont's fire-arrow had caused started to rise, filling his lungs.

Valmont smiled unkindly, and then with one stroke of his hand, he tipped one of the hall-tables over, spilling the flames around the older Monk.

Edmund leapt away, but found himself trapped in a fiery blaze.

"Come!" Valmont ordered Gillecomgain, turning to leave his former brother to his fate.

The boy just stood where he was for a moment, staring in horror at Edmund trying to find a way past the fire. "But we can't just leave him here!" he said aghast. Killing in the heat of battle was one thing, but this was just plain murder, and on a man of the Church no less!

His master spared him a glance. "Unless you care to join him, then come!"

He bit his lower lip, but did as he was told, slowly following him while giving a sideways glance at the Monk, who even now was desperately trying to keep his robes from catching fire. "I'm sorry," he said silently.

0000000000

As the demented King charged toward him, Goliath waited until he was less than a breath away, and then struck out at him with his sword, which he had taken from a dead soldier. Constantine ducked out of the way, taking a sharp sidestep to the right, before leaping forward to thrust at the huge Gargoyle.

But despite his gigantic size, Goliath was not an easy target to hit. He easily dodged Constantine's blows, and countered them with his own blade.

This went on for several minutes, as the two circled and struck out at each other, trying to throw the other off and land a killing blow, to end the duel and the entire war.

Goliath snarled, as Constantine swept his blade dangerously close to his face, barely missing his eye, and perhaps slightly chipping a small bit on one of the horns on his brow-ridge.

With a roar and a swing of his arm, he hit him in the side, sending him practically flying over the battlefield, landing hard on his back.

The usurper king, however, did not stay down for long, immediately picking himself up, shaking his head a few times to clear the headache he had just received. Giving a battle-cry of his own, he charged once more at the clan-leader and Prince, his sword raised.

Having had enough of this duel, Goliath merely sidestepped him at the last minute, snaking out his tail to grab Constantine's ankle and trip him over.

Unfortunately, when Constantine was tripped, his sword was sent tumbling from his hand. As he fell literally head over heels, doing a perfect 360, before falling back down to earth…right on top of his own sword.

He did not have the time to scream or even make a feeble squeak, as he fell onto the weapon, its blade cutting right through his throat, almost perfectly slicing his head off, as it came out from behind, killing him at once.

Goliath could only stand where he was, staring at the pitiful scene. The first thing he thought of, besides what a pathetic ending that had been for the man, was that he had not intended this, until he realised that actually he had. After all, was that not the whole purpose of a duel?

He looked down on the pitiable wretch, knowing that there were more honourable, not to mention a lot less ridiculous, ways to die...though he did not know many other people who earned an undignified death more than _this_ man.

"Rest in peace, warrior," he muttered half-heartedly, reciting what Brother Edmund always said at a funeral, though inwardly what he really wanted to say was 'rest in _pieces'_.

Sighing, he looked up from the cooling cadaver, seeing that the battle was going well for the inhabitants of Castle Wyvern. Most of Constantine's men were turning to flee, and no doubt the discovery of their monarch's death would break the last bit of resistance.

That was when he felt the heat.

At first he thought it nothing more than the sun, or maybe the flames from the fireballs that the Magus had created. But those had already been extinguished, as they had done their job and thus were no longer needed, which was the way of magically conducted items.

He looked around, and found the source of the heat.

"Brothers and sisters!" he cried out to those warriors who had no opponents left to fight. "The castle, she is in flames!"

0000000000

**Castle Wyvern's Highest Tower:**

"They are retreating!" Katherine cried excitedly, observing the battle below.

The Magus smiled, though he did so weakly because of the spell's power. The first one, which had allowed the Gargoyles to remain as flesh during the day, and then the second spell that had created the fireballs, had drained him greatly. Although the Grimorum acted as his conduit for his power, thus providing no danger to him or his life force, it still left him feeling unbelievably exhausted.

"This is wonderful, My Princess," he replied.

"We wouldn't have been able to do this without you." She smiled at him.

The Magus's smile grew larger, and he wanted to respond, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, he felt something like a bee-sting on his neck, and his body suddenly stiffened.

"Whaaooohhhh…" he groaned, as he fell to the side unconscious.

"Magus!" Katherine shouted, rushing to his side and gazing down in worry, not noticing the figure that had suddenly appeared at the tower's steps. She had barely enough time to register the small dart protruding from his neck when…

"Oh, no need to worry, Your Highness," a voice spoke out from behind her.

She spun around and saw a strangely clothed man, dressed in long flowing robes that looked green, but with dark red blotches all over it. Beside him stood a young boy, no more than 12, with sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes. The boy looked unsure, as if he wanted to be anywhere but there at that moment.

The man stood at the door, smiling an all too fake smile at her, as he said with false friendliness, "I only knocked him out."

He raised his arm, revealing a blowpipe in his hand.

"Who are you? What at do you want?" she shouted at him, placing herself between him and the Magus's unconscious form. She asked the question even though she already knew the answer, as this man could only be the Mage that the Lady Finella had warned them about, the sorcerer who had sided with Lord Constantine.

"Oh, I think by now you have figured out what I want," he said, while he reloaded his pipe. "Though a hostage in addition might come in handy, in case there is someone nearby who is not too occupied with fighting their little war."

She shivered, for she knew he was right, as everyone was busy with the battle. The only ones left were some odd guards and a few servants. Everyone else had all been hoarded into the shelters where they would be safe.

"Take the Grimorum from her!" he ordered the boy.

Gillecomgain stepped slowly in her direction, heading towards the Grimorum that lay on the wall where the Magus had left it. The Princess clutched her fists tightly, standing close to where the book lay, not intending to give it up without a fight. She wasn't worried, as it was only a child coming to her.

He hesitantly approached the pretty woman, nervous about assaulting a woman, especially one born of Royal blood. This was definitely not what he had signed up for when his father had told him they would be serving their king.

"Take it, you fool!" Valmont commanded him, pushing him roughly from behind.

While he quarrelled with the boy, Katherine used the moment to take a look at the mystical book, which was still lying undisturbed on the battlement ledge.

'If I can just grab it quickly enough,' she thought.

She knew she couldn't use it, as she wasn't trained in sorcery, nor could she fight, but throwing it off the tower would at least thwart the sorcerer's plans for now, and maybe even get her the attention of some of the soldiers if...

Suddenly, a loud snarl interrupted them.

0000000000

**Few Minutes Earlier: **

Goliath roared, as he beat down the door to the Great Hall, and then immediately started coughing as the smoke filled his lungs. From behind him, the clan-members who had followed him soon began coughing violently as well.

"Get the fire out!" he ordered.

"Goliath!" his Second suddenly shouted out, pointing past him.

He followed the direction of his Second's talon, and instantly his soul filled with dread, as he noticed Brother Edmund lying ahead of him, amidst the fiery blaze.

"Get all the water you can and deal with the flames!" he said again, and then leaped through the fire. The heat scorched him, but he ignored it, as he hurried to his old human friend, and gathered him in his arms.

"Fear not, my friend," he told him. "You are safe."

He then leaped back, away from the flames, and hurried out of the Hall to the nearest window where he could give the old Monk the fresh air he so desperately needed.

"Breathe!" he told him urgently, gently touching his friend's face, noticing how still he was. "Come on, you've been through things much harder than this!"

After a few moments, just when he feared his friend would never awaken…he did.

Brother Edmund shook, and he immediately emitted a string of harsh coughs, as his body tried to expel the dark smoke he had inhaled.

Goliath sighed with relief. All around, those of his clan and various humans were busying themselves by going back and forth with numerous buckets of water to douse the fire. He indicated one of the stable-lads to stop, and reached his claw in to scoop out some water.

Once the coughing had ceased, he held out his claw to the Monk, and gently poured the water into his mouth. He accepted the water gratefully, letting it soothe his throat.

"My friend, what happened?" Goliath then asked. "How did the Hall catch ablaze? There is no sign of Constantine's men breaking in…"

Edmund coughed again, but shook his head. "Not Constantine…" he said, "at least…not exactly anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"It was Valmont!" His eyes looked close to flaring, like a Gargoyles, which was most unusual for him, as Edmund was known to be a peaceful man.

"Who?"

"Brother Valmont," he repeated, sighing. "A man who was, I'm sorry to say, once one of my brothers of the cloth."

"Another Monk?" Goliath asked, looking surprised, wondering what a Monk would be doing with Constantine. He couldn't see that murderer praying for his sins.

"Nay, not any longer," he said, struggling to sit up, which Goliath helped him with. "He was once, but was since then expelled from the church, having been found practising the art of dark magic. I met him when I was sent back to England all those years ago, and after I returned here, I received word about his exile."

Goliath's eyes widened, as he realised. "He is Constantine's sorcerer! The Mage who helped crush Maol Chalvim's rebellion."

"I believe so. He came here through some kind of secret entrance that I saw him exiting in the Great Hall. Where he found it or how he knew of it, I do not know."

Goliath frowned. Constantine was now dead, so why… He froze.

"Where are Princess Katherine and the Magus?"

0000000000

**Present: **

The thoughts of the Princess, and the words from the Mage, were stopped when a lean winged figure landed gracefully on the place where Goliath had once slept.

Katherine looked up at the sound of the loud snarl, expecting it to be none other than her husband…only to learn that it was not the clan-leader.

The Mage and she stared in surprise at the newcomer, a red-haired and azure-skinned Gargess that just had landed above the Grimorum. She paid the book seemingly little attention, but stared at the scene before her intensely.

At first, Katherine thought the female Gargoyle would help her regardless, as Goliath and most of the others of their clan had done so far, but then she met the Gargess's eyes, which were full of doubt and conflict.

She knew who this Gargess was, recognising her as Goliath's former mate whom he had been involved with years before. She had by now long since guessed that the reason for their break-up had been because of his betrothal to her, and it was doubtful that this was something that this female had been able to forgive.

But even if that weren't the case, she knew that out of all the Gargoyle clan, this one was the one who least liked her and her kind. She remembered seeing the hostile look in her eyes when she had been but a child, and that look had not lessened in later years. In fact, she looked all the more incensed if anything.

"Gargoyle!" Valmont said out loud. "I hold no quarrel with you. I desire only the Grimorum." He then smiled. "I know of the…_disputes_ you have had with this woman over the years. She is no friend to your clan, even if she is married to one of you now. You owe her no allegiance, nor any loyalty for the way she has treated you over the years. Let me have the Grimorum, depart in peace, and you shall hear no more from me. By the power of the Grimorum itself, I give you my solemn oath, the unbreakable vow of a sorcerer."

Katherine held her breath in fear, as swearing an oath by the mystical book was a sacred and magically binding vow. Not even the Archmage, who had made a few oaths in his time, had ever been able to break one of those. For if a sorcerer ever attempted such a thing it would mean the instant loss of all their powers, or worse.

She stared into the eyes of the Gargoyle, seeing the conflict within them over the choice whether to help a Human who had shown little more than contempt for her and her clan for most of her life…or just turning around and leaving her to her fate.

Katherine didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to fall down on her knees and beg for the Gargess's help, but she didn't know if that would do any good. She also knew from reputation how proud and stubborn this warrior was. She doubted that a pitiful show of weak-willed pleading would impress her.

She thought back on how she had treated this Gargoyle and all her clan, and she couldn't help but think at that moment, 'If I had treated them all with more respect, I would not even need to ask for her help'.

So, for now, all she could do was stare at the large female, her eyes doing all the pleading.

The azure warrior stared at the Human who had shown her kind nothing but hatred, even after she had been mated to Goliath…the Gargoyle who should have been _her_ mate.

She found herself breathing very hard, her fists clenched and her fangs grinding. She remembered how this brat had enjoyed seeing those of her clan in trouble, had taken every opportunity to insult, humiliate and discredit them. If anything she wanted very much to leave this blasted Human to her fate. The sorcerer had given his word, one she knew to be impossible to break, and no one would know she had even seen them. She could just glide away and pretend to have seen nothing, and the Princess would be gone forever.

Yet when she decided to give one final look into her hated enemy's eyes before leaving, she saw nothing of the spoilt brat she had watched grow up, and at whose hands her kind had suffered so many indignities. Instead, all she could see was a frightened young woman, silently pleading for her help with her tear-filled eyes.

She remembered how Goliath had risked and sacrificed everything to wed her, just so that he could attempt to create a better future for their clan, and to teach this Human the gift of humility. She had thought him a fool for it, never believing for one instant that the Princess would ever change her views about anything. And yet, for the last month or so, she had been playing with the hatchlings, something she would have thought impossible.

Could it be that there was hope for her after all?

She found herself wrestling with a conscience she hadn't known she even possessed anymore, at least when concerning this particular Human. She still wanted nothing more than to leave this Human, letting her suffer the way she had made her clan suffer, but then she remembered something else.

She remembered once when she had been young and she had asked Goliath how he was able to keep so calm and composed when dealing with the Humans, why he never took umbrage at the way they were treated by them, and why he never fought back?

He had told her about an old book, even older than the Grimorum, that was considered sacred by Humans, but with no apparent magic within it. The book they called the Bible, which Brother Edmund had apparently dedicated his whole life to.

Brother Edmund had once read some of it to him, and had recited an old phrase from it, one that had stayed with him ever since…'Do onto others as you would have them do onto you'.

If they wanted to be treated with respect then first they would have to show respect to their neighbours, or so Goliath had told her. She hadn't known what to make of his words, but he seemed to believe that the only way they could ever hope to be accepted was to first be accepting of others.

She took one more look at the Princess, and finally made her choice.

She quickly snatched the book at her feet, causing the Princess some alarm, as she thought she would just simply glide away with it, but instead the azure warrior opened the Grimorum, turning its pages furiously.

"Come along now, you dumb beast," Valmont said, looking bemused at the Gargess. "Don't be more stupid than the whole of your kind put together. Hand the book over to me now before you... "

The Gargess' eyes turn deep red at his words, and she began to speak, her voice rising along with one of her claws that moved in a complicated gesture, as she recited…

_"_Diana, dea animales mangornum parvorumque, veni gloriam te facere!" _(Diana, Goddess of creatures great and small, come forth to work your glory!)_

Katherine stared at her in total surprise. She knew what she was saying, as she understood Latin, and she also knew that what she was speaking could only be a spell, as it had come straight from the Grimorum. But what was a Gargoyle doing knowing sorcery of all things? She had never even heard of a Gargoyle knowing anything about magic before now.

Valmont's eyes widened in surprise, not just because the Gargess was speaking in Latin, but also because she could actually read in the first place.

"How…" he began, but he never got to even add the second word of his sentence. "…HEE-HAW!"

The sorcerer snapped his mouth shut in shock, and raised his hand to cover it, but when he did he discovered that his hand was no longer a hand… The fingers of both his hands had now fused together, the skin peeling off to reveal nothing but hard bone.

Katherine resisted the urge to burst out laughing, as she watched the man before her start to undergo some kind of metamorphosis. Even the lad who had come with him looked as if he was about to burst out laughing, as he watched the former Monk change.

Valmont stared blankly ahead, his mouth wide open, as his ears started to grow long, pointy and hairy, and his two front-teeth grew larger and began to protrude slightly.

"NOOOOO!" he screamed and yelled. "You can't do this! You can't…HEE-HAW! HEE-HAW! HEE-HAW!" Whatever words he then tried to speak were drowned into a chaotic rhythm of an all too recognisable sound.

He fell to his hands and feet, now completely turned into hooves, his face growing longer, on which grey hair started to sprout.

In just fifteen seconds, where once a man had been standing, now stood a horrified looking donkey…or, by a better and more accurate name, _a Jackass_. He tried to stand up on his hind legs, like a man, but could not succeed, as he started kicking his legs out from beneath him, hee-hawing hysterically.

Gillecomgain could only stand back and stare in amazement, resisting the giggles that were threatening to burst from his mouth.

"How…where… However did you learn to do that?" Katherine said, her face betraying her amazement. "How long have you..."

"No one knows," the Gargess said, as she closed the book, trying not to look at the Human's face. Instead she kept her gaze on the transformed sorcerer. "No one must find out! The Archmage taught me in secret before he taught the Magus. If my clan were to learn... "

"The Archmage?" she all but yelled.

The Gargoyle sorceress threw the Grimorum down on the ground beside the Magus. 'I should have known better!' she thought angrily. She had allowed herself one moment of weakness by not letting that amateur Mage carry Katherine off, and now she was going to pay the price for it. The miserable wench would no doubt reveal her secret to all, and once her clan learned that she had been the Archmage's apprentice, they would have no choice but to banish her.

While the former lover of Goliath stood chewing on her lower lip, trying to muster up all the inner courage she could for when she would have to face the clan, Katherine stared at her with her mouth feeling as dry as a bone.

'The Archmage! That damned...' she remembered the night the dark sorcerer had attacked her father, and how the former Gargoyle leader had been unable to protect him.

'Unable?' It was strange for her to think of him being _unable_ to save her father instead of just being unwilling, as she had always made herself believe.

She wanted to say something hard, to give the icy anger she felt inside something to aim at, and from the expression she saw on the Gargess's face, it wouldn't come unexpected. But before she could say anything, the transformed Mage began hee-hawing again, and made her remember that this former apprentice of the Archmage had just saved her life.

She then also remembered the Magus, who was still lying unconscious behind her, and who had learned by the same master, yet always used his skill for the best of the kingdom.

"I..." the Princess began, but was interrupted by the sounds of wings.

Goliath suddenly landed on the ground between her and his former would-be mate.

"Princess, what happened?" he asked worriedly, noticing the unconscious Magus behind her. "Were you attacked by…?"

That was then that he discovered the Jackass, wearing a green robe, standing around and staring up at him in what could only be described as pure fear. He also noticed a small boy who had been trying to silently edge further and further to the stairs, hoping to make a quick getaway. At the look the giant Gargoyle was giving him, the boy instantly froze, staring up in terror at him.

"What happened?" he asked again, looking to his sister who bore an unhappy expression, but remained silent, and then to his wife, keeping one eye on the lad.

Katherine did not say anything at first, looking as though she were at a loss for words, but then she spoke.

"The Mage attacked us," she said, pointing on the donkey. "The Magus and I were here when they showed up out of nowhere. He was after the Grimorum as we suspected, but your clan-sister came to our rescue. She protected us while the Magus managed to cast a spell on him, before the knave knocked him out with a poison dart." She pointed at the dart sticking in the Magus's neck.

Goliath blinked. "_That_…is Valmont?" he asked, staring at the four-legged hee-hawer.

Katherine and the Gargess all stared at him in surprise.

"When the Mage sneaked into the castle, he came face to face with Brother Edmund," he explained. "Apparently, this fiend was once a Monk of Edmund's order, but he went rogue when he chose to study the dark arts. Edmund told us of him when we rescued him."

"Rescue?" his sister said in shock. Out of all the humans, besides the Captain, Brother Edmund was by far her most favoured. "What did he do to Brother Edmund?"

He raised his claw to calm her. "He set the Hall ablaze, but rest assured we were able to save Edmund before he fell victim to it. Do not worry; the flames are all but extinguished now."

Katherine sighed in relief. "Thank heaven," she said.

He then looked back to the donkey. "But tell me, what happened to the dark Mage?"

She nodded. "The Magus used a spell from the Grimorum to change him into his present form," she explained.

Goliath's sister looked for a moment in genuine surprise at the Princess, while her leader just nodded.

"Err…well done," he said uncertainly, still staring at the mage-donkey, praising his former love before turning back to the unknown boy. "And who are you?" he demanded of the young lad.

Gillecomgain swallowed, wishing he had some kind of weapon to defend himself with.

"He was with the Mage," Katherine told her husband, and then addressed the boy. "Were you his apprentice?"

He shook his head. "Nay, my father serves King Constantine, who had me placed as the sorcerer's servant when we first came into his service."

"What is your name?" Goliath asked him.

He swallowed again. "Gillecomgain…sir," he replied hesitantly.

Goliath paused for a moment, staring hard at him. "Your King is now slain," he told him. "Therefore his reign is now at an end."

The boy's eyes widened. "What of my father?"

Goliath took on a look of pity, but could only shrug and say, "That I cannot answer, for I know not who your father is. But many of Constantine's men are being rounded up now as we speak. If your father still lives, we will reunite you with him."

The Gargoyle leader looked back to his rookery sister. "Watch over him," he told her sternly, and she nodded, not intending to let this former servant of Constantine and the Mage to wander round free.

"I have to return to check on the fire," he said, looking to Katherine.

She nodded, and Goliath jumped onto the battlement to leave, but not before casting one last look on his sister, which she didn't really notice.

He sighed, but there was a smile upon his face, glad that his former Angel had seemingly worked out her anger towards Katherine at long last, as she no longer looked at her in fury.

He then spread his wings and glided away.

"Why?" the secret sorceress asked, keeping her voice low, so as the boy could not listen in, jumping down from the battlement to stand beside the Human.

"Well, you said no one should know of your secret, and since you did save me..." she stopped, staring into the still doubting eyes of the Gargess, and then added simply, "I owed you."

Goliath's former Angel of The Night still looked a bit unbelieving; pondering the reality of these words, but then gave a deep sigh. "Thank you," she said finally.

Katherine seemed hesitant to begin with, but gradually she reached out her hand, offering it to the azure-skinned warrior. After a moment of surprise, the Gargess accepted it, and gave the Human the first real smile she had ever given her.

"You're welcome," Katherine replied. "And you, lad!" she added, indicating the boy who was once more trying to make a run for it. "Stay where you are if you know what's good for you!"

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**Four Hours Later: **

The battle ended in their favour. Together, the two clans of the Wyvern Gargoyles had won the day by forcing most of Constantine's forces to flee, with the exception of a few soldiers who had been taken prisoner. Their fate had yet to be determined by Goliath and Katherine.

The Magus, although still weak and half conscious from the poison dart, seemed to be making a full recovery. He had been most fortunate that the dart had merely been dipped in a sleeping potion. The only problem he had at the moment was trying to keep himself from yawning every three minutes.

After he had awakened, Katherine had talked to him privately, asking him to lie to Goliath by telling him that he had cursed the dark Monk, transforming him into his present form. The Magus had asked her about her strange request, even though he would have gladly lied for her. She had merely replied by telling him that she had a promise to keep, to someone whom she owed her life to, and she hoped he would respect her decision and do this one thing or her.

And naturally, of course he would, as the Magus would walk barefoot into Hell for her, and thus he had told Goliath the lie. The Gargoyle Prince had suspected nothing, accepting the Magus's explanation, and all was well again.

As for Valmont, he had for the time being been set up in his own private donkey-pen in the castle-courtyard, where he was now currently spending his time hee-hawing at every passer-by. Though what he was attempting to say was anyone's guess.

The boy Gillecomgain had been reunited with his father, who had been found on the battlefield, battered and bleeding, but alive. They had both been thrown into the dungeons with the rest of Constantine's men, where they would remain until it was decided what would be done with them.

Once everything had more or less been settled, at least for the present, life in some parts of the castle had started to get back to normal. The only exception to this was that the spell on the Gargoyles was still effective, and they were still walking about in daylight.

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Goliath stood on the battlements of Wyvern's highest tower, his roosting spot, as he stared out over the landscape, the sun shining in the distance.

The harsh light of the sun hurt his eyes, since his kind were not used to it, being creatures of the night and all, yet he could not tear his sight away from the unnameable beauty.

He was not the only one either, as nearly all of his clan were at that moment standing at various spots around the whole castle, watching the earth's fiery star as though they were afraid it would just suddenly disappear. Every Gargoyle, from the night they had been hatched, had always dreamed of one day seeing the sun, but none had ever lived that dream…until now.

"Goliath?" the voice of the clan's former leader spoke.

He briefly shook his head out of his reverie. "My Mentor?" he asked.

"Forgive me," the elder said, as he too gazed out over the horizon. "I did not wish to disturb ye, but…" He paused for a moment, once more taking in the indescribable picture before him. "Tis quite a sight, is it not?"

He nodded. "There are no words to describe this," he said simply. "I have heard numerous stories from the Humans all my life about its golden beauty, but… Now I see they were understating the truth. I've forever dreamed of feeling its golden warmth."

His Mentor sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, feeling the sun's glow on his rough skin. "Yuir not the only one, lad." In truth, he was feeling a little overwhelmed by it all, the sight and the sun's warm touch. The Humans had often said that everything looked different in the daylight, which he could now see was true.

During the night, the landscape was dark and often quiet, save for the night-creatures such as Badgers, Foxes and such. But now it was like it had come alive. The day was filled with the sound of birds singing, with the sun shining on everything, bringing out countless colours. From the fields that were once a dull moss colour, now a bright emerald green, the endless flowers that sprung open to show off their colourful brilliance to embrace the sun's rays, to the waters on the rivers and ocean that sparkled with the light, like a billion stars.

It was breathtaking, plain and simple...far more than anything any Gargoyle, let alone he, had ever imagined seeing.

When they had first agreed to use the Magus's spell, they had done so because it had been the only way to defeat Constantine, but now… If he had known it would be like this, he might have very well begged the Magus to have him cast his enchantment on him years ago.

"Err, Goliath," the aged warrior repeated, shaking his head. "I thought I should tell you that the members of our sister clan have now left. They wished to return to their home as soon as possible, no doubt so they could also view the land in its new light at the same time."

He nodded. "We must extend our thanks for their timely appearance. If not for them I doubt we would have prevailed over Constantine's forces as well as we did."

"The Captain also wishes to speak with you urgently."

"What about?" Goliath forced his sight away from the sun to look at him.

"About some of the soldiers from Constantine's army we took prisoner," his advisor explained. "Particularly the young boy and his father. Apparently, they would like to negotiate for their freedom."

Goliath frowned. He was actually a little glad at the sound of this, as he had been secretly dreading what they were to do about them. He knew how Humans were in this kind of situation. Despite the end of the war, they had a tendency to execute those who had been their enemy in a battle.

To him, killing in the heat of battle was one thing…but not like this. He did not like the thought of ending another person's life needlessly, even if they had once been their enemy on the battlefield, especially the boy. If it were up to him completely, he would just let them go.

But, unfortunately, things were not always that simple.

He may be the ruler of Castle Wyvern, but as Monarch he knew he had to consider the thoughts and feelings of all those under his rule, not just his clan, and he could not just act on his own opinion. If all of the Humans wanted these traitor's heads on spikes, even the boy, then he couldn't say no, not without making it appear that he was favouring his own preferences, and those of his own kind, above theirs. He had worked too long and hard to bridge the gap between their two races, and couldn't risk anything jeopardising that.

"What do they have in mind?" he asked finally.

"They claim to have knowledge concerning Princess Katherine's cousin, Prince Maol Chalvim."

Goliath's ears pricked up at that. That sounded just like the kind of thing he was hoping for! If there was even a chance that Katherine's cousin was still alive, then he didn't doubt she would do anything to learn everything she could, even if it might mean releasing them.

"I will speak to them at once!"

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From the battlements on the other side of the castle, four young Gargoyles were also marvelling at the beauty of the sun.

Since the beginning of their night would not officially start till sunset, the Wild Four did not have to start their chores until then. Like many of the Gargoyles of their clan, they had spent most of their time observing the land around them, looking at how different everything looked with the sun shining on it.

"I never thought anything could be so beautiful," the smoke-black one said, breathing in wonder through his small beak. "Who would have thought there were so many colours in the world? No wonder the humans prefer the day to night."

The large Green one with the long spikes on his knees and shoulders merely gave a loud _humph_. "Personally, I find this whole day thing to be overrated," he said.

His rookery brother sneered at him. "Wet blanket," he called him.

His brother and fellow trickster was about to respond when their sensitive ears picked up sounds coming from below them.

The four of them looked down into the courtyard, where they could see the stables and the small part of the yard where they kept the animals. Within it they saw the small pen that had been built a short time ago, currently housing Wyvern's newest animal addition, the former Mage now turned into a donkey.

The four of them still found it hard not to laugh whenever they looked at the Jackass, and they were not the only ones. Nearly every man, woman and child of both clans had to stifle a giggle whenever they passed the sorcerer's pen, and the sorcerer began hee-hawing at them.

The donkey wasn't naked like an ordinary animal, but wore the shirt he had worn when Human. He wore an unusual expression on his long face, looking exceedingly miserable, scared, angry, and no doubt humiliated. And no one was making it any easier for him, as various people made mocks, taunting him, and dangling a carrot in front of his nose.

The four young warriors had to admit that the Magus had chosen well when cursing him, as this new form seemed a perfect fit.

They had been told what had happened to the enemy sorcerer a few hours ago by one of their other rookery siblings. Rumours about the battle had been escalating around the castle the second it had ended, all about each and every warrior's exploits and victories, including the Magus's.

"Hey, I've got a good idea!" the large crested and light brown-skinned one said to the others. "What say we have some fun with the former Mage?"

The others looked at him curiously.

"What did you have in mind?" the short red-skinned one with the beak asked.

The crested one grinned. "Anyone know where we can find our large ocean-coloured brother of the Trio?"

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**One Hour Later: **

Katherine sat in her room, resting on her bed. She had had very little sleep because of the battle, and had been left feeling terribly exhausted.

Unfortunately, life for a Princess wasn't about getting your own way all the time. Katherine rarely, if ever, got what she wanted.

[KNOCK! KNOCK!]

She groaned, as the knocking on her door interrupted her rest.

'Is it too much to want to get even a little sleep?' she thought, but said out loud, "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Goliath, which surprised Katherine greatly. She had not known her husband to knock or _ask_ for entry in months, not since he had demanded that she treat him with respect and equal rights. Since she had more or less refused, he had taken control of everything, including her room, and as such had not bothered knocking anymore.

"Has something else happened?" she asked urgently. Despite the battle being long over, Constantine dead and his army disbanded, she still feared the worst.

He nodded, but his face bore no worry on it. "I have just been speaking to Constantine's soldiers in our dungeon," he explained. "Particularly the boy called Gillecomgain. He said he wished to negotiate for his and his father's freedom in exchange for some information."

Katherine scoffed. "What could they possibly have that could be of any interest to me?" Despite the youth of the boy, she still felt embittered by the fact that he had willingly served the man who had killed her uncle and cousin.

"Knowledge of your cousin, Prince Maol Chalvim," he replied. "He is alive, and he knows the location where he is being held."

Katherine perked up. "Truly? My cousin lives?"

"Indeed. Gillecomgain claims that Constantine had the Prince captured alive so that he could gloat over him. Apparently, he had Valmont curse him, turning him into stone. The only one who knows of his location is Gillecomgain, his father and the sorcerer called Brother Valmont. Everyone else was slain in the battle."

She frowned. "I pray he speaks the truth, but…although it is entirely up to you, my husband. I cannot consent to grant the boy his request. Even if his story is truthful, he still served the man who usurped my uncle and cousin's throne. Such a crime is usually punishable by death, and even if it weren't, it is a crime that can be judged by the King alone."

He nodded. "Yes, I thought of this. But…" He stared hard at her. "A lot of prisoners were taken during the battle, and even more slain. Surely one man and a boy would barely be noticed?"

"You mean just let them go?" she said aghast. "Goliath, even if that would work; I find the very idea of letting them commit treason without consequence beyond unacceptable!"

"What if we were to grant them a lesser sentence?" he suggested. "Such as eternal banishment? We could transport them together with all of Constantine's men, to stand trial, when we send the Captain and the Magus to free your cousin. The border to England is not that far from where they would be heading. Once they reach it, we would send Gillecomgain and his father over the border."

She chewed her lower lip in consideration.

"It would also be far crueller a fate to let his father live," her husband then told her. "As I understand it, from the other soldiers who tried to discredit the boy, his father chose to serve Constantine because he hoped it would gain him the title as The High Steward of Moray. Apparently, he is the son of the late High Steward, but the title was passed to his younger brother instead for some reason."

Her eyes widened. "The man, is he Mail Brigti?"

He looked at her in surprise. "Yes, I believe that is his name."

"Ah, then I know of his story. His father was Ruaidri. My father mentioned him to me once, describing him only as a most unpleasant man who valued status and wealth beyond that of honour and integrity. Apparently, he was willing to abandon his own child just so that he could marry a noble-woman."

Goliath frowned. "Your _Noble_-men really do this to their own children?"

"Sadly, some of them yes," she admitted. "But don't shed any tears for Gillecomgain's father just yet. From what I know of him, he may have started out as an innocent, but he didn't remain as such. Upon the death of his father, his brother, Lord Findlaech, was willing to share his inheritance with him, but Mail Brigti had no desire to share anything. He wanted it all."

"Which would explain why he joined forces with Constantine," Goliath deduced, and then added. "But in doing so he has lost everything. Being banished from Scotland will ensure he will never claim what would have been half his if he hadn't been so greedy. And he has even lost what little he did have."

His wife nodded slowly. "It does sound plausible," she agreed. "But how do we know it is the truth that Gillecomgain speaks?"

"I had the Magus with me during his questioning," he explained with a smile. "I warned him that if he told us anything false then the Magus would surely know about it, and that he would punish his dishonesty by doing to him what he did to Brother Valmont."

She smiled at that. He just assumed it was because of what he had said about the Magus, but of course he knew nothing of what had truly happened on the tower between Valmont and his former beloved.

"That would be enough to convince them all, surely," she admitted. "Very well then. Banishment should be an adequate punishment for the boy and his father, and from what I know of Findlaech, he would not want his brother to be slain either, so he might even appreciate it. And my cousin Kenneth is a kind soul, so I'm sure he'll understand."

Goliath nodded in relief. He had had a feeling that execution was a certain punishment for treason, and considering how young the boy Gillecomgain was, he had hoped against hope that Katherine would agree to his proposal. Sending a boy to death was definitely _not_ something he wanted on his conscience.

"And if it is indeed a spell that holds my dear cousin prisoner," she continued. "Then the Magus will surely be able to break it. The Captain can have them lead him to where my cousin is being held."

"That might be a problem, Katherine," he said suddenly.

She looked at him. "What do you mean?"

He turned back to the door. "Magus, enter!" he called out.

A second later, the sorcerer walked through the doorway, looking apologetically at his Princess. "My Princess," he greeted her, and then yawned. Obviously, the sleeping potion had still not worked its way out of his system yet.

"Magus, please explain," she asked hurriedly. "What is the problem concerning my cousin?"

He sighed. "As I told Goliath, I could release the spell placed upon the Prince, but only if I knew what kind of the spell that was used on him. There are a number of different spells from the Grimorum that I could use to break the enchantment, but if I used the wrong one then it could end disastrously."

She gasped. "How so?"

"Valmont uses spells that he has obviously taken from various lands, as we discovered when he attempted to enslave your mind," he continued. "There's no telling what spell he used to curse your cousin. If I attempted to use a spell from the Grimorum, which originated from one country, to undo the spell they used that might have come from another… Well, as I once told you, mixing magics is dangerous work. It could have serious consequences, perhaps even fatal to your cousin."

She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. "What do you suggest?"

"There's only one thing we can do now, Princess," he said sorrowfully. "The only way I can help your cousin is by finding out which spell the Mage used on him, and the only ones who can tell us that are he and Constantine who was with them at the time…and Constantine is now dead."

She hissed. "You're asking me to have that villainous black-magic worshipper released as well?" she said unbelieving. "Goliath, releasing the boy and his father are one thing…"

"No, Katherine," he interrupted her. "We are merely laying out all the options available to you, which sadly are not that many. But even if we did release the Mage, the Magus has assured me he will not go unpunished for his crimes."

"What do you mean?"

"I have searched through the Grimorum and found the spell we need," the Magus spoke again. "It will return Valmont to his proper form, but at a price…_to him_."

**To Be Continued… **


	10. Chapter 10

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles and Gargoyles comics are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
>No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.<br>All original characters are the property of Storyseeker and Hardwing.**_

_**Here it is, the newly revamped saga! With fresh new/extended and altered scenes! **_

_**Once again, this story was co-written with the great author Hardwing! Many thanks!**_

_**This fic saga is set in an alternate universe, in Wyvern's past, with characters from the Gargoyles comics, the Dark Ages Saga in TGS and some of Hardwing's own characters. It starts off right after the events shown in the show's episode 'Long Way To Morning' in 984 A.D. where the events in that chapter lead to a different conclusion for the clan. It is also set in the same timeline as the show in that era, with two small differences… and that's Goliath didn't get his name until 984 A.D. and the eggs hatched soon in 995 A.D.**_

_**Oh, and in case some people get offended at some of the sexist remarks in this saga… Please remember that it is set in the medieval ages (things were different back then). **_

_**Many thanks to Kimberly Towle for her suggestions, and to the author Aesop for all his proofreading!**_

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**One Hour Later: **

A short time later, the Princess, Magus and Goliath made their way down to the courtyard where the sorcerer-turned-donkey was being kept.

As they arrived in the courtyard, they met up with the Trio and the four other young Gargoyles who had terrified Katherine with their game of 'Catch' some months ago. They appeared as though they were on their way to the donkey-pen as well.

"What are you seven up to?" Goliath asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Err…nothing," the red one of the Trio said nervously, while all the others gave equally nervous smiles.

Goliath gave them all a long look, but in the end decided he had more important things to deal with now than spying on immature Gargoyles, and walked on ahead.

Katherine spared them a glance, but said nothing as she followed her husband.

"Err, Your Highness?" the green web-winged one and the smoke-black one with the beak both said simultaneously.

She paused briefly, giving them a hard stare. "What is it?"

The two smallest members of both their groups pawed anxiously at the ground with their claws.

"We just wanted to say…" the green one said.

"Well, that we are…" the black one continued.

"What we're trying to say is…"

"What is it?" she said impatiently. "I have somewhere I need to be right now, so please hurry."

"We wanted to say we were sorry," they both finished together.

She looked at them for a few moments. "Oh," she said finally.

"That goes for all of us," the red one with no hair added.

"Yes, including us," the large crested one stated.

"We never meant to hurt you," the tall red one with the long beak said. "We were…I guess we were all feeling pretty angry by what you had said to us before, but that was no excuse for the way we treated you. I'm…_we're_ all sorry anyway."

Katherine said nothing for a moment, as she looked at them all curiously. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the Magus calling out for her.

"I have to go," she said, and hurried off.

She soon reached Goliath and the Magus at the pen where even now the donkey was hee-hawing like mad, scrambling to get away from the lavender giant and the Magus.

"You are sure he will be able to understand us?" Goliath whispered to the young sorcerer.

HHHHhhyyhhhgge nodded. "The spell that was cast on him was designed to only change a person's outer appearance, but not their minds. Spiritually and mentally speaking, he should still be the same as he was before his transformation."

Goliath nodded, and then slowly approached the edge of the pen, speaking lowly but clearly. "Sorcerer," he said, addressing the pen's current resident. "Listen to me; I have a proposition for you."

The Ass did not come near him, but his ears pricked up at the sound of the word 'proposition,' which did not help anyone better control their amusement. At the sight of his ears snapping to attention, Goliath had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing out loud, a reaction that was shared by the Magus and Katherine also.

"We…we know what you did to Princess Katherine's cousin, Prince Maol Chalvim," Goliath talked as though he was breathing heavily, but only because of his difficulty to control his laughter. "We also know of the spell you cursed him with."

He swallowed hard, regaining some of his self-control and composure. "Our Magus requires your help in undoing the spell. If you agree to do this, then we will reverse the spell that was cast on you, thus give you back your true form, along with your freedom. Refuse…and you can look forward to a future of carrying heavy goods and eating hay in this pen for the rest of your life."

The Ass stared at him in horror, as he began hee-hawing again.

"Silence!" Goliath boomed, his thundering voice quietening everyone, even making Katherine and the Magus jump. "Be warned, sorcerer…we are not so naïve or foolish as to just give you back your true form and release you. Our Magus has read from the Grimorum and learnt of the spell to change you back, but also of a way to permanently bind your powers so that you may never practise sorcery again."

If the former Mage wasn't horrified before, then he certainly was now. For a sorcerer to lose their power was like a great King being reduced to life as a beggar.

"Those are our terms, Valmont," Goliath stated, using the Mage's true name. "For working alongside Constantine, you are fortunate enough not to be executed for high treason. The only reasons you are not are because we need your aid in restoring my wife's cousin, and the fact that you are not a Scotsman, but English. Upon Maol Chalvim's release, you will be sent back to your country of birth. So either you cooperate and live the life of a free mortal _man_…or you may continue as you are, as an Ass. Walk forward if you agree."

The former Monk and sorcerer stayed where he was for a few moments, pawing at the ground with his hooves as though in a state of agitation. When it seemed as though it would never make up his mind, he began to slowly walk forward.

The donkey-mage stood before the Gargoyle Monarch, holding his head low as if in submission. It was clear he had no choice in the matter, as what was the alternative…spend eternity eating hay?

Goliath nodded in approval. "A very wise decision," he told him, though from the look the donkey cast his way, it was clear Valmont did not share his optimism.

"Magus, have the preparations been made?" He turned to the white-haired wizard.

The Magus nodded. "The spell in the Grimorum is ready to be used," he stated. "I talked to the Captain, and he is already arranging a group of soldiers to come with me and Constantine's former soldiers to wherever they are holding Prince Maol Chalvim's stone-body. After I have reversed the spell on the dark Monk, we will leave on our journey immediately. Once I am there, I will reverse the spell on the Prince and then return."

"You are certain you will be able to bind the Mage's powers effectively?"

The keeper of the Grimorum nodded. "Indeed. The spell is composed of powerful and delicate magic, but is fairly simple to use. I can cast it right here if you wish."

Katherine gave a long frown, making them both look on her worriedly.

"It's the only way, Your Highness," the Magus assured her, ignoring the increase of Valmont's hee-haws behind him, who was obviously eager for his return to humanity, knowing that she was not too keen on the idea of letting this power-mad sorcerer go free. "Without him, I cannot hope to release your cousin from their curse. The risk to him would be too great."

She sighed, nodding at him. "I know," she said admittedly. "But it just makes me so mad that the only punishment that this cowardly magician will get is to spend a short time as an Ass."

"And be stripped of all his powers, Highness," he reminded her. "For any sorcerer, especially one as power-hungry as this one, to lose all his magic is a fate worse than death."

Katherine was about to say something further when…

"Who says that's the only punishment he has to get?" a new voice suddenly spoke up.

The three of them turned in surprise to see the seven young Gargoyles whom they thought had left, standing right behind them.

"What are you young ones doing here?" Goliath demanded, staring at them hard.

"We were…listening," the crested one of the Wild Four said hesitantly.

"We were curious about what was going on," the web-winged one of the Trio added.

"So you decided to eavesdrop on other people's conversations," Goliath stated none too approvingly. "Didn't the elders ever teach you not to do such a thing?"

"Umm," the crested one said unsurely. "They might have mentioned something about it, yes."

He gave them a thin-eyed look.

"But anyway," the younger warrior quickly said. "We overheard what you were saying and… Well, we were thinking, and I can't stress enough on the word _thinking, _about what you were planning to do with the, err…_Mage_."

"What about him?" Goliath asked, curiously.

"Well," the tall one from the Trio added, but paused. "Actually, maybe we could speak to Princess Katherine first about this. Would you mind, Your Highness?"

Katherine raised her eyebrows in question, but nodded and walked a little forward with the two groups of Gargoyle youngsters until they were out of earshot of the two adults.

The tall one from the Trio eased his long beak up to her ear, seemingly whispering something to her and pointing his talon at the larger member of his small group who smiled briefly at her.

Katherine, for some reason, had a reserved look when she looked on him, but in the end gave him a small smile, while continuing to listen to the red one's suggestion.

The others around them seemed to be acting a little excited, smirking and such, the way they usually were whenever they were planning something, which made their leader all the more nervous.

Eventually they finished talking, and she started to walk back towards Goliath and the Magus, but she did it with a smirk on her face.

Goliath quirked an eyeridge at her, wondering what she and the youngsters had been discussing, as did the Magus.

"What have they been saying?" he asked her when she came back up to them.

She didn't answer, and just asked the Magus another question. "Magus, the spell to return the Mage to human, do you need to cast it straight away or can it be done anytime?"

He looked confused, but nodded. "The spell has no time limit on it, no."

"Good. What about the Captain? You said he had already begun making arrangements for your journey to my cousin. How long will that take?"

"At least another few hours or so. The Captain still has to gather some food, and for that we will need to pick fresh fruit and vegetables from our farmlands. And some of the men have yet to be seen by the court physician for their wounds received in the battle."

"That should give us plenty of time then."

"For what, Katherine?" Goliath said, looking perplexed at her.

She turned her head to look at the disgruntled donkey. "I agree with your young warriors, Husband," she said to him. "Who is to say that this punishment is the only one he should have, considering all the grief he gave us?"

The Magus shrugged. "What do you have in mind, Princess?"

She walked up to the pen, gazing in and addressing its lone occupant. "While the Captain is busy preparing everything for their journey, and you are stuck in this form, you can make yourself useful by completing a…_small_ task for me."

She gave him a hard but amused stare. "I have always meant to time how long it would take someone to reach Wyvern's nearest hill in case of an emergency. So I will time how long it takes you to get there to be sure. Naturally, we will send someone with you in case of any danger or if you try to escape, however unlikely that will be."

The nearest hill that she spoke of was a great tall one just around the edge of the forest. It was not all that far, but it was still a good hour walk, and the climb up the hill was bitter work for the legs. Even Gargoyles were often left feeling tired after climbing it.

Goliath blinked. "And who is to be accompanying him?" he asked.

She only smiled, as she heard someone approaching from behind them.

They turned and saw the large aquamarine Gargoyle of the Trio, as he came up to the pen.

"Oh, and just so you know," she suddenly added, still addressing Valmont. "Because you are still technically a prisoner of war until the Magus releases you, then that means you will be doing _all_ the walking."

The donkey-mage's ears fell back, and he began shirking away from the huge shadow of the young Gargoyle standing before him, like a giant. He wasn't as big as Goliath, but he more than made up for his lack of height with the mass in his stomach.

The aquamarine Gargoyle grinned down on the former sorcerer, who at that moment looked terrified beyond belief, before grabbing his stomach with both his hand-claws, lifting it all the way up to his chest, only to release it, as it came down with a loud flop like a large barrel full of wine.

"Who's up for a walk?" he said, grinning like mad.

0000000000

**One Hour Later**

As Katherine and Goliath made their way back inside the castle, he could not keep a small smirk off his face.

"I must admit something, Princess," he said to his wife. "I am not surprised by this plan, considering who it was that came up with it. But I am most amazed that you went along with it. It seems so…out of character for you."

She smiled, shrugging her shoulders. "I was never one for practical jokes, but even I had to admit that your young warriors' suggestion was too good to pass over. It was a perfect opportunity to give the Mage a good taste of humility at long last. Mayhap he will consider the consequences of his actions next time he tries joining forces with a tyrant."

Goliath chuckled.

They walked on for a little longer in silence, until he finally decided to ask her something that had been plaguing his mind lately. "Katherine, would you mind answering something for me?"

"What is it?" she asked, looking at him.

"Well, you recall the night when I took you into the forest to share some bread, and talk?"

She paused for a second, but nodded.

"Well, if I may ask, why did you run away like you did?"

She blushed a little, but frowned. "If you must know, I…" She groaned. "I was afraid that you only brought me there because you were planning to…_mate_ with me."

"Mate with you?" he said in surprise. "Why ever would you think that?"

"Well, you looked as though you were about to strip yourself in front of me," she reminded him. "When you were gripping your loincloth buckle."

He sighed. "I always do that when I'm at unease," he said. "I never intended to strip, at least not in the open forest. And I have never forced myself on you before. Why would you think I would then?"

She shrugged. "Well, I was talking with one of your clan before you came to collect me. He told me about how you Gargoyles sometimes…went out to that spot to begin trying for an egg."

His eyes widened in surprise. "Who on earth told you that?"

Katherine frowned, wishing that Gargoyles would all take names. "It was that male with the brown skin, a crest of horns on his forehead, and a…" she paused, seemingly nervous to continue.

"Yes?"

"Well, I don't wish to insult one of your clan," she told him honestly. After all that had happened recently, and the battle they had fought to keep her castle and their whole country safe, it would be too disrespectful. "But… Well, there was something about him that made me feel uneasy. He had a sly look about him that made me forever think that he was planning something behind my back."

That, more than anything, told him whom she was talking about.

"I know whom you mean," he said, his eyes flaring slightly. "My sly brother has that affect on everybody, mainly because he usually always is up to something. But tell me, was he the one who told you I intended to take you to the lake to mate?"

"Well, not exactly. He just told me that maybe you were planning to start trying for a child, which was why you intended to take me out to that place."

His eyes flared. "Even if that were true, the only way to make eggs is on the night of The Breeder's Moon. No other time is possible."

"Maybe he was just rushing his words," she suggested. "Like I said, he didn't exactly tell me you were going to try anything. He just…"

"Indicated that I might be," he finished for her, frowning. "With my brother, that is often what he does."

Katherine opened her mouth to say something further, but shut it.

"What?"

"It's probably nothing," she said hurriedly.

"With my brother involved it is rarely nothing. What else did he say to you?"

"About that night at the lake, nothing. But…there were the other times."

"_Other_ times?"

0000000000

Iago walked past the battlements, viewing the land at a time that no other Gargoyle ever had done before…during the day.

He had to admit the beauty was breathtaking, but at the moment he was not in the mood for admiring the scenery. His plans to unravel Goliath's status as clan-leader were slowly coming apart. His efforts had been working perfectly up until when Goliath had placed Katherine in the damn rookery!

For some reason, helping to take care of the eggs had somehow managed to sweeten her mistrusting nature against his clan. Even worse, thanks to that stupid Constantine and the clan being forced to help defend the castle against him, thus saving their home and all of Scotland from the tyrant, Goliath's reputation had been enhanced a thousand fold.

He growled beneath his breath. Mere whispers, white lies and suggestions were not going to cut it this time. Goliath's victory had assured everyone he was their rightful leader, and even the humans would not deny it now.

"Brother!"

Iago looked over to see his brother with the malformed horn coming over toward him.

"What is it?" he asked, not in the mood for one of his brother's attempts to escape work.

"The leader demands your appearance in the courtyard immediately," Thersities told him, and then turned around, preparing to go. "I suggest you hurry."

"What fo…" he began to say, but Thersities had already hurried on ahead of him.

Growling again, he took flight and glided down to the courtyard, where even now it seemed more than half the clan were waiting for him. At the front stood Goliath and, most surprisingly, Princess Katherine, both of them staring at him hard.

"Is there a problem, my leader?" he asked with a stone seemingly resting in his chest.

"It seems you've been spreading tales," Goliath told him directly, and Iago noticed that he did not address to him as 'brother' like he usually did with his other siblings.

"What tales would they be, prithee tell?"

"For starters, you may recall you were the one who once suggested that I take my mate here to visit that spot by the lake, in the forest."

He shrugged. "I do…recall something of that, yes?"

Goliath's eyes narrowed. "Then mayhap you recall that at that same time, you also spoke to Princess Katherine, and told her that I was planning to mate with her once I got her there!"

Iago bristled. "I never said that…"

"So you do remember it then?"

He fumed. "I merely told her that the place you were intending to take her to was isolated, perfect to be alone."

"And that he might be planning to start trying for an egg," Katherine added, remembering his words exactly.

The rest of the clan sniggered a little at that remark, forgetting again that she knew very little about their species' ways.

"Well, I…" he stuttered.

"That is also not the only false bit of knowledge you've been supplying our Princess with," Goliath added. "Princess Katherine has informed me you have been making numerous insinuations about me making certain _advances_ towards her. Not to mention that it was you who directed her down into the courtyard on the night that we were all celebrating our brother and sister's future mating night. And I remember now that it was you that night who told me that the Princess wished to speak with me, yet she has told me she never did. You directed me to our quarters, giving Katherine plenty of time to reach the celebration, and then returned to me to say where she truly was, claiming you had misunderstood her."

"I...I…this is all nonsense! You can't prove I was to blame for anything you're saying!"

"Do not bother with anymore of your lies, brother!" he said disdainfully. "We all know the truth of your words. You were deliberately manipulating and lying to all of us, just so you could discredit me, end the peace between our clan and the humans that we have all worked so hard for in the past few months, and…"

"_No_," a new voice suddenly spoke up.

Goliath turned in surprise, and saw none other than his rookery brother, the one who Brother Edmund called Javin, looking at him in distress.

"Our brother here was not alone in his attempts to cause chaos," he admitted, looking guilty. "We…that is I…I played a part in it, too."

Goliath stared at his brother in shock. "You?" he said in disbelief.

"Nay, not just him," another voice added, and he saw four more of his brothers step forward. One who looked like the red one of the Trio, but with a beard, from his own rookery. And the other three who were from the generation previously, one who was a clouded white male with four horns, a black skinned one with fin-like ears, and the huge bull-like male who Edmund called Minos in his journals

"Aye, we're all to blame," Minos said, looking down at his feet. "We knew this scoundrel wasn't to be trusted, yet we were all taken in by his words."

"And what words, prithee tell, would they be?" Goliath asked, still in shock that his sly brother could recruit any of his brothers to his mad scheme.

Minos grumbled beneath his breath, so his clouded brother took over.

"He made us all believe that you were allowing the Princess to take back control of the throne, and that once more we'd be living under her in submission as before." He looked shame-faced at his leader. "Leader, I am so sorry, we all are! We never should have believed him, but… Well, what he said at the time sounded so true, and we were so afraid of things returning to the way they were…"

Goliath stalled his words with a raise of his claw. "No need to explain that, brother," he said admittedly. "I know full well how our brother's words here can often twist the truth to his own liking."

Iago glared at the seven of them hatefully.

"Apparently, your year long banishment was not enough for you to contemplate your previous actions," Goliath snarled. "And now you have committed far more devious crimes. For that you shall be banished for…"

"Wait!" Katherine suddenly called out. "Do not banish him!"

He turned to stare at her with a cocked eye-ridge. "Considering his crimes brought forward to us today, eternal banishment seems the only punishment severe enough."

"Maybe," she asked. "But he has not only broken the laws of your clan, but of mine also. By inciting unrest between our respective races, he threatened all of us. My kind would call this only one thing…treason! Our law demands justice, and although banishment does sound adequate, might I suggest another one?"

He was more than surprised that she would actually say a word in this trial. He had asked her to attend simply because it was her word that played a part in revealing Iago's guilt, but Goliath had never expected her to sound her voice in front of everyone.

"If you wish," he agreed.

"For your dark brother here, I doubt that mere banishment, even an eternal one, would have little affect and cause him to rethink his past actions," she explained out-loud to everyone.

"But at least he'd be out of our hair," Minos whispered to his brothers, making them all chuckle.

Katherine ignored him and continued. "Instead of banishment, mayhap he could serve out his punishment by serving both our clans."

"How so?" Goliath asked.

"Well…" she smiled a little. "For example…I understand they're always looking for help cleaning the stables, washing the floors, clearing up after the animals, and of course the local farmers always need a little muscle with all their back-breaking labour…"

Iago's eyes flared white. "I am not some slave to be passed about at other people's convenience!" he roared.

Goliath snarled at him. "As of now, you are!" he told him. "The second you tried to turn us and the humans against one another, you made yourself an enemy of both clans!"

"If he does not desire this sentence," Katherine then added, "then there is always another form of punishment that we humans give out for treason."

Iago looked at her questioningly. "And what's that?"

"Execution," she said simply.

Iago's eyes widened. He looked to Goliath, as if for help, but he saw no mercy in his leader's eyes.

"Look not to me for salvation, my former brother," he said to him. "The moment you attempted this wicked deed is the moment you ceased being a brother to our clan. You are and always will be part of this clan, as by your hatching, but no more are you a brother to us. Remember that."

Iago looked around in desperation, but everywhere he looked, he saw not a hint of pity in any of his sibling's eyes.

Finally, with a bitter growl, he looked back to the leader, or more precisely his human mate. "It appears I am without choice," he said, his rage and humiliation barely suppressed. "I submit myself to your judgement and punishment…princess."

She nodded. "Would someone mind taking him to the pig-pen?" she said. "They are the ones in most dire need of cleaning."

Most of the clan laughed then, as Othello and his mate came forth, grabbing Iago by his arms and leading him to the place of his allocated duty. Othello's mate, known as Desdemona by Brother Edmund, seemed to take special delight in dragging him away harshly.

"What of the others?" Goliath then asked, pointing to his brothers. "They did aid in my sly brother's plans, albeit misled."

Every one in the clan held their breath, as Katherine looked on the five Gargoyles.

"Before I say anything," she said, "I would like to know one thing…the night when you and your clan were having that celebration, the one which I…_intruded_. Were you all really as drunk as you claimed to be, when you were _dancing_ with me?"

All five of them blushed brightly.

"Ummm…" they all said in unison.

"Mostly?" Minos said hesitantly, smiling sheepishly at her.

Katherine gave him a hard look.

'Here it comes,' everyone thought. 'She will have them shattered for certain.'

A few moments passed, and just when they thought she had gone to sleep, Katherine spoke…

"I see no reason for any further punishment," she said, surprising everyone.

Actually, _surprise_ would be an understatement. Shocked and flabbergasted would be more accurate, and even that would only be half right.

"I myself was fooled by the deceiver," she explained. "If I were to punish everyone for that, then I may as well punish myself also. You all allowed yourselves to be deceived by him, and in doing so worked against your brother and leader. You will have to carry that knowledge with you now for the rest of your lives. For me, that will be sufficient punishment enough for all."

The five warriors bowed their heads, ashamed.

"Indeed it will," Javin remarked.

"We pray for your forgiveness, Our Leader," the clouded white one said to Goliath.

"Aye," Minos added. "We should've not been so stupid as to believe the wicked one's lies."

The red one nodded. "We all knew he wasn't to be trusted since the nights of our hatchling-hood, yet still we allowed ourselves to be fooled by him."

The dark one said nothing, but his eyes spoke volumes of the guilt and shame he was feeling right at that moment.

Goliath stared at them all hard. "As my wife here said, you will all have to live with the knowledge of your sin. That is punishment enough for anyone who acknowledges their blame in a crime."

The warriors bowed their heads again, submitting to their leader and his mate's judgement.

"This trial is finished!" he called out. "Please, go enjoy what is left of this day!"

The clan hurried to do so, as many still wanted to explore how different the rest of the land was in the daylight. At the same time, though, many were also whispering amongst themselves, all amazed at the Princess's wise words and kind judgement. No one had ever expected the human, who had once loathed their clan with a vengeance, to ever express such wisdom.

The five warriors were among the most amazed, as they stared at the Princess with complete surprise etched on their faces.

Katherine replied their stares with one of her own, before saying "I believe your leader said you could go?"

At their continued stares, she sighed. "This day is not going to last forever, friends," she remarked, not really thinking on what she was saying, as she was just eager to leave. "And I wouldn't count on anything like this happening again anytime soon, so I recommend making the most of it while you can."

With that she turned and walked away, leaving behind five very stunned Gargoyles who were now even more shocked than they were before.

'She called us friends!'

0000000000

**A Few Hours Later: **

Valmont had, needless to say, been _more_ than reluctant to allow the thick aquamarine Gargoyle to ride on his back out of Wyvern. Unfortunately, the worst part about being a donkey is that you don't have a voice with which to speak your opinion. And the fact that the person riding you is a Gargoyle over six-feet tall, with large fangs and claws, and who could flatten you in one go, doesn't help much either.

Nevertheless, the changed sorcerer had resisted quite thoroughly at first, kicking out his legs at him or anyone who dared to come near him, and even tried biting them a few times with his now oversized teeth. Alas, his resistance came to an end when the huge youngster managed to get behind him, swung his leg over, and then, with a satisfying thump…sat on his back.

The Gargoyle's rear rested quite comfortably on his back, which took all the load from his enormous weight, causing Valmont's leg muscles to crackle and pop, as he struggled to stay standing, making low whining noises.

The Gargoyle further taunted the four-legged Mage by whipping his backside with his own tail, calling out, "Giddy-up, Jenny!" He had heard some of the humans say that when they rode their own donkeys. He didn't know what the Jenny part meant, as he was sure none of them had been named that, but he guessed that 'Giddy-up' meant something like 'hurry up.'

It was very likely that Valmont would have continued his insistent and annoying cries if he could, but the crushing weight on his back left him with very little air in his lungs to do so.

He had at first been moving very slowly, which was to be expected, but the sharp whip on his bottom from the beast's tail, and a kick to his sides, certainly made him pick up his pace.

The young Gargoyle was certainly enjoying himself, as he was not used to riding anything on four legs. His large weight was part of the reason, but it was also because a lot of animals tended to stay clear of his race. Horses were particularly spooked by their kind for some reason, as were donkeys.

The two of them passed through the gates of the castle, as he rode Valmont out to where he would take him beyond the forest, and up the steep hill where the soldiers would be awaiting them.

As he rode through the gates, his departure was viewed by several others on the battlements, most of who were guards on duty, and Gargoyles. Everyone else was inside either attending to their duties or clearing up after Constantine's attack.

Amongst the watchers were his two closest rookery brothers and the Wild Four, standing with the Princess above the gate of the castle where they had the best view.

"Seems our brother is enjoying himself," the Gargoyle with the long beak noticed.

"Maybe we should have tried it, too?" the smoke-black one suggested.

"Too late," his brother replied. "He is already on his way."

"Pity," Katherine added, being a most startling sight between the four Gargoyles. "My father had a long, strong whip that I have never used before. I should have liked to have tried it on _him_."

"_Giddy-up!_" they heard the Gargoyle yell excitedly in the distance. _"Come on, move faster, you stupid ass! We'll be lucky to get there before nightfall if you don't pick up the pace!" _A sharp, whip-like noise then sounded, followed soon after by the ass's moaning hee-hawing.

"Princess?" the small green one with the web-wings said hesitantly. "I know we have already said this, but…I wanted to say again how…_sorry_ we all are for the way we treated you."

At her unsure look, he added, "I swear we never intended any harm. It was just a joke, one that got out of hand, and… I guess…we just weren't thinking." He cringed beneath her look. "It tends to happen a lot with us."

Katherine looked at his sorrowful face, which was shared by the others in his group. Part of her was still angered by their treatment of her, but after all that had happened in the last few months, their childish prank seemed unimportant now.

"Your kind believes in new beginnings, do they not?" she asked, "In letting go of the past and starting things anew?"

The six of them looked at her and nodded, earning a small smile from the Princess's face.

"Then, mayhap, I should take a page out of your clan's book and honour this custom of yours. You have been punished, and you have tried to make amends, so you are forgiven, hence we will speak no more of this."

The youngsters all looked thrilled, as they beamed at her.

"_Thank you, Your Highness!" _

"_You won't regret this!" _

"_We'll do anything you wish to make up for our mistake!" _

"_I knew you weren't all bad!" _

She half-smiled at the last comment that came from the large one with the shark's fin on his head. She was still unsure of them, but after everything she had been through with Constantine, Valmont and her poor cousin, everything else seemed meaningless.

0000000000

Not too far away, the Magus was watching them, happy that the Princess seemed to have recovered from her ordeal at the hands of the Monk-turned-Mage, when he noticed Goliath walking in his direction.

"Goliath," he greeted him.

The leader of the Gargoyle clan and castle stopped, looking at the white haired Human.

"I wanted to thank you personally, Magus," he said. "Not just for the way you protected the Princess and the castle, but also for me and my clan. It was your spell that saved the castle..." he paused, "…and gave my clan a _wondrous_ gift."

At the Magus's confused look, he added, "The chance to see the dawn, something that all Gargoyles have dreamed about since the nights they were hatched, will be something my clan will never forget. And neither will I."

For a long few moments, the Human didn't know what to say, feeling overwhelmed with the Gargoyle's praise, while at the same time still having some slight regrets for his part with the English Priests, and also for lying about his supposed involvement with the dark Monk's transformation.

He still didn't know the full story about what had happened, as he had been unconscious the whole time. When he had awakened, the Princess had just pleaded with him to tell Goliath that he had been the one who had changed the dark sorcerer.

When he had asked what had truly happened, she had just told him that she could say nothing more, as she had promised not to reveal anything. And what with him being the loyal and love-struck Mage that he was, he naturally obeyed.

He was about to thank Goliath for his kind words when he quickly remembered what he should have told the clan already about the spell, the part about the risk of longer waking periods.

"Goliath, I forgot to..." he began.

"Goliath," a soft female voice stopped him. "I would speak with you."

The large Gargoyle looked to the source of the voice, finding his wife in the middle of six of the seven young Gargoyles.

"Excuse me, Magus," he told the wizard politely, as he stepped by him without looking back.

"But…" the Magus started, but stopped. 'Oh well, he will find out eventually,' he thought, as he watched the large Gargoyle approach his wife. 'I'll let the Captain know, just so they have no need to worry.'

With those thoughts, he turned and made his way down to the courtyard, where the Captain and some of the soldiers were waiting to take him to the hilltop, where they would rendezvous with the aquamarine Gargoyle, the Mage-donkey and the other soldiers waiting for them. Because of the Gargoyle's large mass, his and the donkey's arrival there would most likely not be for a while yet, which was why the Magus and everyone had waited to depart now, giving them a head start.

Although he had already said his goodbyes to Katherine, he couldn't help looking behind himself to give her one last look. The Princess noticed this, and mouthed the word "goodbye" at him, while giving him a warm smile.

The Magus smiled back, and continued going down into the courtyard.

"Katherine, what has happened?" Goliath asked, as he approached his wife, while at the same time noticing that only one step was between her and the young ones. "Have they been causing problems again?"

At the tone of his voice, the youngsters winced in union.

Thankfully, the Princess shook her head. "No, indeed not," she said, smiling. "They fought valiantly during the battle, as well as coming up with that good idea on how to handle the dark Monk."

He looked at her in mild surprise, which he shared with the young Gargoyles behind her back.

"So what is it?" he asked.

"Two things really," she noted, crossing her arms. "First of all, as your…_mate,_ and ruling partner of this kingdom, I would like to suggest that in light of their bravery and aid, you lift their punishment. I see no reason for it to continue, as I have now forgiven them for their crime against me."

This again surprised both the young warriors and their leader. Though the latter didn't show it, but deep down he had been thinking about suspending their punishment long before now. But he would never have imagined that Katherine would be the person to suggest it, though.

After a long minute of silence, with him staring intensely at them, he finally spoke. "Because of the bravery and valour you all showed in battle, and because the Princess asks for this…" he began, looking at the six while they looked hopefully at him, "your punishment is now over."

The last words he spoke were soon buried beneath the ecstatic roars of joy coming from the young warriors. In a moment of sheer joy and gratitude, the one with the long shoulder and knee spikes suddenly embraced the Princess.

At first she seemed alarmed, but after a moment she just smiled and patted his back, carefully avoiding his shoulders.

When Goliath saw her do that, he smiled as well.

0000000000

**One and A Half Hour Later;**

**Hilltop:**

The ocean coloured Gargoyle, who was definitely _not_ just big boned, directed his carrier up to the top of the hill, where the Captain was already waiting for them, together with the Magus and some guards who had already arrived. The Magus, although having left at about the same time as the young Gargoyle, had had the advantage of not having a lot of excess weight, resulting in a slow moving donkey.

The Ass heaved and panted, as it walked a snail's pace up the hill. Judging by its appearance, no one could have ever imagined that something as small as it could carry something as enormous as the Gargoyle on its back.

The Gargoyle grinned, as the Jackass finally reached the top of the hill, looking as though its legs were ready to break.

"And here he is!" he announced, as he dismounted the donkey, while giving it one final, sharp whip on the backside with his tail, to which it responded with a very painful sounding heehawing. The beast then slowly limped a little over to the side, looking ready to pass out in the dirt.

"About time, too," the Captain commented from his horse, while looking down at the beast. Although he admittedly found this punishment appropriate and highly amusing, the time they had spent waiting was definitely not.

"Sorry about that," the Gargoyle apologised. "I tried to get him here as fast as I could, but…" He patted his huge belly, smiling. "Well, you can't blame him really, can you?"

The Captain smiled. The young fool might have a big gullet, but he had a friendly nature, as well as a heart of gold. He had no delusions about his weight, as he knew he was bigger than most of those in his clan, but he didn't let it bother him. He took any joke thrown at him with great dignity and mirth.

"Magus?" he then said, turning to the young sorcerer, indicating to him that it was time. They had waited long enough as it was. They had to embark on their journey right away, to get even a few miles out of the remaining day.

The white-haired Human nodded, and turned to the donkey-Mage who was waiting anxiously for him to begin. He opened the Grimorum and raised his right hand, as he recited the spell from the book...

"Carmina inficiatur; metamorphosis eorum convertatur, vires eorum vinciantur!" _Let the spell be undone; let the transformation of them be reversed; let their powers be chained!_

The effect was instantaneous, and was quite a sight to everyone gathered, especially the Captain's soldiers who had never seen magic at work before.

Between the soldiers, there were also some of Constantine's men, ready to be transported back to Constantine's former castle, where they would be judged for their actions in serving the tyrant. Among them were the boy Gillecomgain and his father, Mail Brigti, who seemed to have a terrible glare permanently fixed to his face.

They were to be transported along with the soldiers, until they reached the roads that would take them beyond the borders into England. Mail Brigti had, needless to say, not been pleased when he had heard his fate, but in the end decided that it was better than death.

The donkey at first seemed just to become nervous, as it pawed at the ground with its hooves, only to suddenly begin heehawing ecstatically with pain. It began kicking its legs out from under, as its flesh started to shift and bulge, and its bones twisted and cracked before everyone's eyes.

Its heehaws turned into shrill screams, as its snout shifted back into a Human face, and instead of pawing the earth with hooves, _he,_ as it was now a he, was clawing the dirt with newly formed fingers.

"_Mary, sweet mother of God,_" one soldier whispered to the other behind the Captain's back.

Finally the transformation ended, and since the fur on his body had now disappeared, a lone and naked Human was kneeling down in front of the group, glaring at the Magus with a mix of anger, humiliation…and exhaustion.

"Can you talk again?" the Captain asked.

Brother Valmont opened his mouth, seemingly testing himself. He coughed a little, as though he were afraid that if he were to start talking then all that would come out would be more heehaws.

"Ye…_yes_," he said, trying to keep some of his dignity by talking in his usual proud and arrogant voice, but not managing it in his current state. He moaned, as he tried straightening his back, eliciting a sharp snap and cracking sound from it. The Gargoyle had really done a number on him.

He didn't stay straight for very long, though, as the sniggering from the soldiers, as well as the cold breeze, reminded him that he was now unclothed. His robe had come undone and fallen off at some point, while he had been an Ass, and he hadn't noticed because of all the fur covering his whole body.

He instantly hutched his back, covering what he could of himself with his hands, while glaring at the laughing soldiers.

"Good," the Captain said simply, not taking any notice of the Mage's nudity. "In that case we can start our journey, and not a blasted moment too soon."

"Am I to be walking all the distance like this?" the former sorcerer snapped, as he still glared at them all.

"A good idea," the Captain replied, grabbing a sack lying beside him on his horse. "Bit more walking might do you some good."

He had actually brought an extra horse for Valmont, but saw no reason why he couldn't walk a few more miles. After all, if he could walk this far with the large Gargoyle on his back, as a donkey, then he could certainly do it as a man without him.

"But we can't risk offending a lady on the way now, can we?" he then added.

With those last words, he threw down what everyone at first thought were some garments over to the naked man, all of which didn't look much better than the bag they had just been pulled out of. In fact, as it turned out, the garments were actually nothing more than just a mere bag with three holes cut in it for the head and arms to pass through.

Valmont glared murderously at the Captain.

"You dare expect me to wear such coarse material?" he hissed. "I will not…"

"So you would prefer going naked then?" he replied in amusement, making his horse move forward to seemingly take the _clothes_ away from him.

The powerless Mage just grasped the cloth bags tightly, and began placing them over his head as quickly as he could.

"Fine," the Captain said, satisfied. "Then it's time to go. You will help carry some of the provisions, too." He pointed to some small bags that were filled with fruit and vegetables for their journey, indicating him to pick them up.

"You expect me to carry these things as well? This is an outrage! How dare you…!"

"As an Ass you would have had far less problems with it," the big Gargoyle suddenly commented, feeling ready to laugh at the sight of this senseless pride of his.

Valmont shot a dangerous look at him, though his anger was also mixed in with a little fear. It wasn't just the fear of having a Gargoyle in his midst, but also because he feared that if he were to anger him then, Human now or not, he might force him into giving him another donkey-ride. His back was still aching from the ordeal.

"Or maybe a pig?" the youngster continued, speaking to the Captain. "That way, if he causes you any problems, you won't have to search very far for food if you need any."

The Magus smiled at that, staring hard on his former fellow sorcerer with a look that made him take up the provisions quicker than lightning.

The soldiers and Gargoyle all laughed raucously at the sight.

"All right now, lad," the Captain said good heartedly to him. "I reckon you've done your bit for tonight. You'd better be heading back to Wyvern now before Goliath starts wondering where you are."

"All right, Captain," the Gargoyle said obediently. He paused for one moment whilst looking at the former donkey. "Many thanks for the ride, my friend. And know that there will always be a stable open for you back home, should you need it."

Valmont would no doubt be snarling right now if he could, as he glared daggers at the fat beast, while he laughed and leapt off the hilltop, taking to the air.

0000000000

**Castle Wyvern; Same Time: **

The former Gargoyle leader stood on the battlement of the castle that faced the sea. He stood relishing the warmth of the sun, as he watched over the ocean, trying to see as much as his single healthy eye allowed him. The light that sparkled off the waters shone brighter than any diamond or star he could think of.

It was the sea he had named his mate after, his 'Angel of The Sea' who had been so strong, yet her skin so soft, much like her spirit had been.

"Oh, my Angel," he thought aloud, and the longing in him hurt more than any wound he had ever received in battle had. 'If you could only stand beside me now and see all this... '

But she couldn't, for she was gone, having died while defending her clan and their allies, her body claimed by the sea that she had loved so. When she had died, he had wanted to join her, but now he knew he couldn't help but go on living by defending her memory and all that she had stood for. It was a struggle in which they had made a great deal of progress in the last few months.

So engrossed was he in his memories and the heavenly sight before him that he didn't notice someone approach from behind.

"Ahem?" the sound of someone coughing from behind him woke him out of his thoughts, and made him turn around. For a moment, he was angry at the disturbance, and had every intention of venting his anger at whoever had disturbed his reverie, until he discovered who it was.

Princess Katherine stood before him, the expression upon her face unreadable.

"Princess," he greeted, bowing shortly before her.

She said nothing at first, as she stared at him in a strange way that he couldn't really define. It almost looked like she was…_sorry_ about something?

"I wish to speak to you about my father," she began, her voice sounding more strained than he had ever heard her before.

The old Gargoyle nodded slowly, as she seemed to be having a personal battle within herself.

She stood there a few moments longer, as she opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish. Seemingly she had something to say, but she could not find the words with which to say it with.

The last several months had taught her much. For many years she had held onto her hatred of Goliath and his former leader. It was only during the past few months, what with Constantine and the threat of her cousin's deaths that her hate was beginning to subside. Many of her people had felt like giving up when Constantine's forces were approaching, and yet, through it all, the Gargoyles had never ceased risking their lives for them, despite how she had treated them over the years.

She knew she had mistreated them, as that could be the only word for it. She remembered the many nights when Goliath and his clan had single-handedly rescued the castle from invaders, only for her to repay them with her contempt.

In all honesty, Katherine still felt the old icy hatred in her heart whenever she saw this elder, and the rest of the Gargoyles would forever make her nervous. She doubted that would ever change. But the past few days, the sacrifices made, and the almost endless fighting had earned the clan her respect and thanks, and this old warrior had been there fighting on the frontline with his clan.

She owed him.

"I know you weren't responsible for his death," she said finally. "I know you tried everything you could to save him, and it was…" She paused. "I know it was…_wrong_ of me to blame you for this from the beginning. I realise that now."

"You were a..." the old Gargoyle began, but she raised a hand and stopped him.

"I know that I was young back then," the Human replied. "But I am not now, nor have I been for many a year. There is no excuse for my behaviour, so please…accept my humblest apologies."

He had to wait more than a few seconds; still feeling a bit shocked by this revelation and request, until finally he nodded.

"I know you were one of my father's closest friends, for that is what he tried to tell me in his final moments," she continued, her face a mask. "But I didn't listen. I don't know if... No, I don't think we can ever become that. Despite what I now know, I still feel... "

She stopped, the memory of her father on his deathbed flashing in front of her eyes.

"I will honour his friendship with you," she finally promised. It was not much, but it was all she could afford at the moment.

The old Gargoyle nodded, realising how hard this must be for her. Although she had seemingly come to terms with her father's death at long last, it was obviously not easy for her to let go of years of hatred for someone overnight. It was going to take time.

"Your father would be proud of you," he said honestly.

"I hope so," she replied quietly, and then added more loudly. "Thank you, and good day."

With that, she turned and left, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

No, she was not ready to forgive _and_ forget just yet, but she had taken the first step by forgiving him. In time, he had no doubt that all her psychological wounds would heal. It was just going to take some more time. And after all the waiting their clan had done so far, he could wait a little longer.

After all, no matter how great a person's wound is, they heal eventually. And scars fade, given enough time.

0000000000

**Just Before Sunset: **

The rest of the day had gone by peacefully. Most of the Gargoyles spent the whole day just looking at everything, at how different it all was in the sunlight.

The young ones, the Trio and the Wild Four, had spent nearly all of the day celebrating their newfound freedom. The large aquamarine Gargoyle, once he had returned home and discovered his extra chores had now finally come to an end, had celebrated in his own fashion…meaning that he had spent the whole day in the kitchens and food storehouse.

As for the Humans, after they had finished cleaning up after the battle, they had spent most of the day resting in their beds. Katherine, too, was even now rousing from her sleep, but that was nothing new, as she usually slept during the day now.

She yawned, as she awoke. After blinking the sleep from her eyes, she looked around, but saw nothing of Goliath. Obviously he was either out doing his clan duties, or perhaps still marvelling at the way everything was bathed in golden light. She had to admit she found their naivety at the day both amusing and refreshing. Since she lived in the sun every day, she was long since used to it and found nothing particularly special about it.

She soon got up and dressed herself. Even though she usually had handmaidens to dress her, the last few months of being married to a Gargoyle had taught her how strong she could be when she wanted to, so she had stopped using her servants for every job she could do herself.

After she was dressed, she decided to go and have a walk first around the battlements before having breakfast, and it was there she found Goliath.

Like many of his clan, he had spent most of the day marvelling at the sight of the earth's golden star, never growing tired of its beauty, especially the sunset. He never knew the sky could turn red.

He knew the Magus's spell was not permanent, and that after today they would return to normal, stone by day and flesh by night, as all Gargoyles were hatched to be. The thought made him a little sad… To be presented with this great beauty, and knowing that he might very well never see it again seemed almost cruel.

"Greetings, Goliath?" Katherine's voice greeted.

He turned and saw his wife approach him. "Good evening, Katherine," he said, smiling. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very well, thank you," she replied.

"How fares our guest, the Lady Finella?" he then asked.

"I haven't yet checked on her progress, but from what the Royal Physician told me earlier, she still requires a lot of rest before she is able to return home, but in a few more days she will be fine."

"That is good," he remarked.

They remained silent for a few moments after that, standing still where they were, both unsure of what next to say to the other.

Goliath on the one claw did have a feeling of what to say to Katherine, but he wasn't entirely certain of how to tell her.

When he had married her, he hadn't thought for one second he would even be considering telling her what he was thinking now. But after she had forgiven the youngsters, and after what his Mentor had told him of their conversation earlier, he realised that the impossible had happened. Unbelievable as it was, Katherine had now apparently embraced him and his clan as full citizens of her kingdom.

They had always known that this would be a possibility, but after being mated to her for so long, he had thought it would never come to be. But it had, and now because of it, as they had originally planned, he had to tell her something. It was just trying to find the right words to explain it to her that was vexing.

"Katherine, I…" the clan-leader started. "I have something that I need to tell you."

"What is it, husband?" she asked, looking at him curiously. She hadn't known him to be so hesitant before, at least not in the last few months after he had finally taken a stand against her.

While he stuttered to find the right wording, he missed the last few rays of sunlight, as they disappeared below the horizon.

"I need to tell you that…that…ohhhhhh…" he groaned, as he felt a wave of dizziness and nausea come over him.

"Goliath?" two Katherines seemingly asked him, as his eyes developed double-vision. "Goliath, are you all right?"

He felt he was anything but, and it wasn't just him, but all of his clan. All around the castle there was a chorus of countless groans, moans and retching. Some of the clan had even fallen right down into the ground the moment the sun had set.

Goliath bent over the battlement, fighting hard to keep the contents of his stomach from decorating the castle walls below. If all of his clan were feeling as he did now, he dreaded to think what the walls and floor of the room where the large youngster of the Trio was looking like now.

"Ohhh my head," he groaned, seemingly in pain. "I haven't felt like this since… since… "

"Since the night when you and that soldier decided to…_sample_ some of the castle's fine wine?" Katherine finished for him.

He gave another groan.

"I know a hangover when I see one, Goliath," she told him, remembering all too well the night he and that soldier had tried besting each other in a drinking contest, and having seen it plenty of times already from the other men in the castle at meal-times. But she had never seen one come over so suddenly before, as Goliath had been dead sober a few seconds ago.

"I haven't drunk anything stronger than water for weeks," he swore to her. "And I haven't even drunk _anything_ in the last…ohhhhh, my head…my stomach... _My_ _everything_!"

Katherine cautiously approached him, not wanting to risk him heaving his stomach contents all over her fresh new gown. She had lost one too many gowns to the clan as it was.

"Come, let's get you back to our chambers," she told him gently. "We will learn all that has transpired soon."

Staggering, Goliath followed her with his claw on her shoulder to guide him…and very nearly dragged her down with him when he collapsed down the stairs.

0000000000

After having nearly all of the castle-guards come to help carry him back to the Royal chambers, Goliath lay on the bed with a cold damp cloth upon his forehead, feeling as though his head had been used as a punching bag, his stomach like it was about to burst, and feeling just plain miserable.

Katherine sat by his side, occasionally dapping his head with the damp cloth.

"You don't have to stay here with me, Katherine," he told her.

"After all that you did for me, saving me, my people and my castle from Constantine, how could I do any less?" she replied. "Besides, as your wife and ruling partner it is expected of me."

Half an hour later, Goliath's former Night-Angel came into the room…or rather she _staggered_ in.

"How are the others?" he asked her.

"As well as can be expected," she said, groaning as she spoke. "Though I can't say I'm too surprised at the outcome of this."

"What do you mean?" he said, looking curiously at her.

His azure sister shook her head as though in pain, but was in reality mentally rebuking herself for nearly giving her secret away. She had expected something like this to happen from the start, because a spell as powerful as the one to keep Gargoyles awake during the day would definitely have some kind of price to pay. Obviously they were now feeling the side-affects.

"I spoke to the Magus before he left," she lied. "He warned me that there would be certain side-affects to the spell that he used on us."

"Define _side-affects_?" Goliath enquired, still groaning.

"Well," she replied, "basically, it would be like what the Humans call a hangover, when you've drunk too much wine. Until we have a decent day's sleep as stone, I'm afraid we'll be feeling the ramifications of today's adventure till sunrise."

Goliath's groans deepened.

His former Angel shrugged. "You did _ask_ for an explanation."

"Yes," he said, smiling a humourless smile. "Remind me to be careful what I wish for from now on."

The rest of the clan were also spending their night in agony, as they all curled up in corners, hunched over battlements, and some, like Goliath, had to lie in human beds that they had borrowed. Everywhere, from one end of the castle to the other, there was not a single Gargoyle that was not groaning and wishing for a quick death.

But the worst part was yet to come…

0000000000

From the other side of the castle, Goliath's Second and rookery brother was going through his own magical side-affects, and was not coping very well with it.

"Come on, friend!" the loud cry of an excited young soldier yelled, as he strode up to the Clan-Second, slapping him hard on his back.

Normally, any kind of slap, no matter how hard, from a mere human wouldn't do anything to even rouse a Gargoyle, given their superior strength, size and stature. However, the circumstances were far from normal.

The one that the Captain and Brother Edmund called 'Othello' fought a wave of nausea, brought upon by the friendly, if not overdone, slap on his back by the young human.

"Hey, what's up with you?" the young guard called Connor asked.

Othello glared at him. "Nothing," he muttered. "Just…nothing." He moaned.

"Well, come on then!" Connor repeated eagerly. "We've just spent the whole day clearing up after that bastard Constantine's attack, so now we're ready to get down and celebrate!"

His eyes widened at him. "Umm, friend…" he said unsurely. "Don't take this the wrong way, but… "

"Think nothing of it," he assured him. "We have already prepared everything in the Great Hall. We've got more barrels of wine than all the Kings of the world! Not to mention everything that the Cook could rustle up from the storehouse. Trust me, we're gonna be shouting the halls down tonight!"

Othello felt his headache begin to worsen, and he had a feeling it was only going to get worse.

0000000000

He had been right.

The young soldier, Connor, had not been lying about the planned events for the night's activities. The guards of the castle must have brought up every barrel from the cellar that they could find. The tables were all loaded with food of every type, with goblets filled to the brim, and the castle musicians playing their finest tunes.

The whole of the Gargoyle clan at that moment wanted nothing more than, as the humans would say, to be buried in their graves.

Even the large Gargoyle from the Trio felt ill, as he stared at the endless rows of tender roast meats and sweet fruits before him. By now he would usually be tearing into the meats as though there were no tomorrow, but unfortunately the constant churning in his stomach prevented him from enjoying the feast.

Goliath was there, of course, as it was expected for the Prince to be at the festivities. He sat at his throne, watching as the humans celebrated in full cheer, but for once he felt no glee at seeing his clan and the humans sitting side by side in peace.

At that moment, all he wanted was to crawl back up into the bed that Katherine had so kindly let to him in his night of need. Even now he had to bite his tongue every time when one of the maids came up with a plate of something for him to try.

Every Gargoyle was the same, as they sat with their heads between their hand-claws, attempting to rest them, hoping that the constant beating in them would soon lessen.

Even the poor hound-beasts lay on the floor with their heads beneath their massive paws, whimpering loudly, only taking the occasional slurp of water from their bowls.

"You should have seen the one soldier I fought!" one of the guards said loudly, as he chatted with his fellow guards and two of Goliath's clan, both of whom looked as if they would rather be anywhere but there. "I swear the coward wet himself when I came at him with me sword!"

All around, Humans were chatting, shouting and laughing out raucously at everyone who looked as if they were even remotely interested in their stories.

"_I heard Constantine fell on his own sword, the idiot!" _

"_My brother and I had to keep a whole troop of them away from the gates!" _

"_The cowards ran away as soon as we let our arrows fly!"_

"_Sure it wasn't your breath that got them scared?" _

Goliath winced, praying to the Great Dragon that the Humans would just lower the volume of their voices, if only for a short while. He briefly wondered if this was what humans went through when he and his clan were in good health. He would have to make a note of asking his clan-mates to perhaps cut down on the sound of their roaring from now on.

"Hey there, old friend!" a loud but familiar voice shouted in his ear.

Goliath shuddered, but looked to his left to confirm his suspicions. Sure enough, the voice turned out to belong to none other than the same human male who had introduced him to the exotic potent wine that had left him a drunken lout for one whole evening.

"Greetings, my friend," he replied, giving him a false smile while underneath he was thinking, 'Ohhh by the Great Dragon, have mercy!'

"Haven't seen you in a while!" the human belched. Obviously he had not lost his thirst for the drink, especially at a party. "Been hitting the drink again, have we?"

Goliath just gave him a curious stare. "Apparently not as much as you, my friend," he told him. He still didn't know the man's name.

His comrade laughed out loud. "Too right, too!" He reached over to the other side of the table, retrieving a large bottle. "So what say you and I show all these amateurs how it's done and pick up where we left off? As I recall, you once claimed no mere Human could beat a Gargoyle at holding a drink, therefore…I hereby challenge you to a rematch!"

Goliath felt his insides beginning to churn again, as he stared practically in horror at the large bottle of wine that his 'friend' was holding out to him.

"Great Dragon,' he moaned mentally, 'Give me strength…and a sword to strike myself down with, _please_.'

0000000000

**Next Evening: **

Goliath did not awaken with a roar, as was common with Gargoyles, but with a low moan that rang back and forth inside the leader's head. Fortunately, it soon dissipated.

The terrible queasiness he had suffered the day and night before, along with the rest of his clan, together with the alcohol that that lone Human had made him drink, had thankfully faded. He still felt weak, but at least the headaches and nausea were now gone. The stone-sleep had rejuvenated him and all those of his clan, curing them of the Magus's spell's side-affects.

Groaning, he tried to sit up, only to end up falling back down again, not realising at first that he was actually lying down instead of standing. When he realised that, he felt around, feeling the softness beneath him, and discovered that what he felt was actually a Human bed.

'I'm in her bed again,' the leader of his clan thought, realising that he was in the old bed in the Princess' room.

Remembering the last time he had slept there, and who had nearly ended up being crushed because of it, the large Gargoyle quickly rose, expecting to find Katherine flattened beneath him, but was relieved to find merely a creased pillow there instead.

He heaved a sigh of relief.

"I was luckier this time," he heard his wife's voice from behind him, and turned around to see Katherine sitting in the chair near the fireplace, a book resting in her lap.

She looked at him with an expression of bemusement on her face. "Though this time you didn't even make it to our room before the celebration had even ended," she then added.

Slowly, Goliath's memories returned, though as they did he wished they would just stay behind the thick fog he felt in his head. Yet appearing through this fog, he saw himself being half-led and half-carried by two guards to his and Katherine's room, with Katherine beside him.

He groaned, holding his head in shame as the memories this night flooded through him. 'Not again,' he moaned in his mind.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, trying to fight the small bit of alcohol still left in his body, while thinking how much damage his lack of self-control might have brought to all of them. "I'm so sorry, Katherine. This is the second time my ridiculous…"

"Don't be," his wife replied, rising from her chair and walking closer to her Gargoyle husband "Despite the alcohol, you weren't the only one with problems. I heard all of your clan felt ill."

He nodded, but still felt none the wiser. "Still," he said, "this is the second time that I have offended you with my behaviour, and I did not help matters by consuming more of the drink that…"

"There's no need to apologise," she assured him. "You aren't the only one suffering from effects of the drink last night, and I speak not just of those of your clan, but of mine as well. You forget that last night was a night of celebration for our victory over Constantine. Even now, many of my soldiers are still feeling the ramifications today, as yours were last night."

Goliath gave a small smile, feeling slightly better as he took notice of her soft and definitely _not_ angry voice. She obviously bore him no ill will, for if she had done then she would have undoubtedly let him know by now.

He frowned, as he remembered how bad he and his clan had already been feeling, even before their Human friends had decided to have a great celebration, and insisted on them taking part in it.

"I must see to my clan," he said, trying to stand up and finally managing it…though with some shaking in his legs.

"No, you must not," she insisted, stepping up to him and pressing her left hand against the Gargoyle's masculine chest, making him nearly fall backward, giving him final proof of how weak he really was at that moment. "I have ordered the Captain's best soldier to look after my…I mean _our_ warriors, and assist them if need be. As for your clan, I am sure your Second is more than capable to take care of things."

Goliath looked as if he were about to resist, but then after a quick moment he seemingly relaxed and nodded in resignation, agreeing with her. "Very well," he told her. "But I expect to be informed on all things, no matter how small or insignificant."

She nodded. "You will be," she assured him.

Goliath nodded back, and then added, "Thank you."

The two of them stood there like that for a few moments until Goliath cocked his head and eyeridge at her and said, "Umm, you can take your hand off my chest now, you know. I swear to you I am not going anywhere."

Katherine blushed, as she realised that she had been standing there now for over a minute, her hand resting on his heart.

"Sorry!" she squeaked in embarrassment, pulling her hand back and hiding it behind her, her face going red.

She always knew that Goliath was powerfully built, as one would have to be blind not to notice that, but she had never fully realised it until just now _how_ well built he was. His chest felt almost as hard now as it did during the day, yet it was as warm as a stove-fire, and she could feel his heart beating as steadily as a warrior's drum.

"Relax, and let me bring you some water before we see anyone!" she said quickly, her face still flushed. "This is the least I can do for you saving my people."

If Goliath was curious about what had just happened then he did not show it, but he did say…

"_Our_ people," he replied softly, referring to both their clans as one people, not just the two.

She stopped and stared at him for a moment, before she smiled again and nodded. "_Our_ people," she agreed.

With this she turned and walked to a corner of the room, where a serving-maid had a short time ago brought in a clay-jug full of chilled water, and two metallic cups, leaving Goliath to look at her, surprised…and very thoughtful.

Looking at her now, one would never believe that she was the same Princess of Wyvern from all those months ago who would sooner see all Gargoyles dead than acknowledge them, let alone marry one. Yet now, she had apparently accepted him, his clan, and had even grown close to one of the new hatchlings in the rookery, almost as though he were an adopted son of all things.

There was no doubt about it. She had definitely changed. She had made peace with the old Mentor whom she had blamed for her father's death all these years, the young tricksters of the clan who had humiliated and frightened her, and even he her husband who had dominated her and seemingly stolen her throne from her.

He had considered telling her before he had fallen ill yesterday, and despite his less than respectful behaviour last night at the Humans' celebration, she had still treated him with kindness. Something the _old_ Katherine would have never done. That alone gave him proof that the time for concealment had passed, and the time for revelations had finally come.

"Katherine, we need to talk," he said simply, as she came back with the two cups in her hands, patting a spot on the bed beside him as a request for her to sit down.

"What is it?" she asked curiously, but did as she was requested to by sitting down.

He sighed. "I need to tell you something," he started. "As you know, your father arranged our marriage as a means to bring our two clans together, to show everyone that peace and co-existence between us was possible." He took one of the cups of water, having a hard time controlling his voice. "But there is more..."

She stiffened, feeling a coldness creep up into her limbs, as she tried to imagine what else her father had thought up. She now understood how right he had been, but this didn't make her shudder any less at the thought of what more he had had planned.

"Don't tell me I have to do the Ascendance Hunt?" she asked fearfully.

Goliath had to laugh out loud at that, as he imagined Katherine running around in the forest in a loincloth and ragged top, hunting with only either a Bow and Arrow, or a spear.

Whenever young Gargoyles would reach a certain age, they would undergo various tasks and trials to prove that they were now of full age and ready warriors. The Ascendance Hunt was one of such trials, where they would go forth into the forest to hunt down and bring back a beast, using only the barest of necessities such as a Bow and Arrow, a dagger, or even just their bare claws.

He laughed. "No, no, nothing like that."

"Oh, well, what then?"

Goliath sighed again, the amusement faded. "While Prince Malcolm wanted us all living together in peace, he still did not want you to be trapped in a marriage against your will…at least not if it wasn't necessary," he explained. "He made it clear to us that if you ever showed any signs of humility, any sign that you no longer regarded us as your enemy…then we were to set you free."

She blinked. "Free?" she asked.

He nodded. "Our marriage has been a long and trying thing for you, Your Highness," he said, referring to her once again as Her Highness, something he had not done in months. "For _both_ of us," he added. "At the time it was necessary, but now… Now I think it is necessary no longer. So if you wish, we can arrange for our marriage to be annulled as soon as possible."

Katherine's jaw dropped.

"But the Church," she began unbelieving, watching as he sipped a little of the water. "Surely they wouldn't allow it?"

He held up his claw. "We talked all this through with Brother Edmund years ago. Because you and I never…err…" he began to look nervous. "Well, that is to say…because you…because _we_…we never _consummated_ our wedding vows. That means the marriage was in a way never made official, meaning we can have it undone whenever we wish."

"But…" she began again. "How will you…?"

"Brother Edmund will see to it, as he has promised," he replied, calming her down. "He will write to the Church, explain the situation about how we were never able to…_you know_, because of Constantine, and that we have since then come to realise that neither of us are well suited to one another. The Church should then grant the annulment.

"And what if they don't?"

"Brother Edmund seems to be sure they will, but if they don't then we have planned something else by…_stretching_ the truth further for them."

At her inquisitive look, he continued…

"As you may guess, neither Brother Edmund nor your father or the Captain were too keen on the idea of lying to the Church, but hopefully this will not come to that. If the first plan fails then we will claim to them that you discovered some things about me after we were wed, such as suspecting me as having contact with things not of God's earth, which is more or less true concerning my clan. We will use this and a number of other fabrications, hopefully resulting in the Church finally granting us the annulment. But like I said, Brother Edmund seems certain they will do so once we have explained the situation."

He looked at Katherine, who still looked doubtful but said nothing. "Once this is over, if you wish to, you will be free again to marry whomsoever you desire. Not to mention…" he added playfully, "no longer having stone-skin scattered all over your room anymore."

She still said nothing, feeling unable to speak, as sudden and unexpected emotions raced within her.

'Does he wish to be rid of me?' she asked herself, and was surprised she was even asking it. After all, this was what she had been hoping and praying for ever since she had first learnt that she was to become Goliath's wife, to be free of him. So why on Earth was she questioning it now?

She stayed where she was, her thoughts and feelings churning within her. Part of her was glad that this whole sorry affair had now finally been brought to an end; that she would regain her throne and things would get back to normal, but…for some reason, she didn't feel as gay or joyful as she would have expected herself to. She neither felt happy or sad, just…_empty_.

"Your clan would no doubt welcome it if you could mate with one of them instead," she heard herself say in a neutral tone.

"No doubt many of them would," he replied, thinking of the elders. "But…" he hesitated, "I would like to say that even if I did ever find another mate, or even if by some miracle if I reunited with my former love..._no one_ would ever be able to replace _you_."

She stared on him in surprise, making him shrug his massive shoulders.

"You are a pretty hard mate to forget, My Katherine," he admitted.

She smiled, as she stared at him. "And I can honestly say that even if I was to search the whole world from one end to the other, I would never find anyone to fill your shoes…assuming you wore any that is."

The two of them chuckled.

"So…" he finally asked. "The choice is yours, My Wife. What are we to do?"

Katherine for once could not find anything to say, as she stared at the Gargoyle that had brought so much misery and anguish into her life, and yet so much joy, wisdom and humility. Through him, she had learnt the error of her ways.

She had looked down on his clan with contempt instead of treating them with honour and respect, held onto past grudges against those who were not to blame. And she had learned the true beauty of what it meant to be in a clan…something she had almost forgotten since the death of her father.

She found her doubts growing by the moment, as she looked deep into his eyes, the eyes that she had come to respect and found to be his most appealing feature.

She couldn't be sure, but was that a glimmer of affection in them?

Her thoughts grew jumbled, and part of her wanted to run out of the room right then to escape them. What she was thinking…and what was she _feeling_?

Goliath then smiled at her, as though to be encouraging, and for the first time she realised just how handsome he was when he did that.

Finally, Katherine smiled, and made her decision.

**THE END!**

_**Yeah, I know… What the Hell, where's the rest of it? We had considered writing a conclusion to this, but we couldn't decide whether to have Katherine get with Goliath or just split them up, so we decided to leave it at a cliffhanger so everyone could dream up their own ending! Anyone who wants to write their own conclusion, though, please feel free to do so! **_


End file.
